Table 3.
Major themes and exemplar quotes in health professionals' qualitative responses (n = 54).
| MAJOR THEME n = number of participants who reported theme | SUB-THEMES | EXEMPLAR QUOTES |
|---|---|---|
| NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES | ||
| Concern about the consequences of visitor restrictions and disrupted services on patients and families (n = 23) | Concern for patient and family health and wellbeing | “The impact on families is enormous. Only one parent [in the hospital] per patient and not allowing siblings or other visitors is having a huge impact on families' mental health.” (ID236) |
| Disruption of cardiac neurodevelopmental evaluation and follow-up services | “I am concerned about the significant delays in neurodevelopmental evaluation for young children with CHD due to the cessation of in-person neurodevelopmental assessments.” (ID224) | |
| Intensified strain on healthcare workers (n = 21) | Increased workload | “Huge additional load placed on clinicians to respond to the acute needs of the pandemic in drafting guidelines, educating, changing work practices, and participating in meetings while also dealing with risk to self and followed by a request to work to catch up on waitlists even before full services resume, followed by an imminent second wave without a break.” (ID631) |
| Providing support to colleagues and patients | “They (patients) are isolated from their usual support systems including the capacity for parents, siblings, grandparents, and extended family to provide support. Healthcare workers need to fulfill this support role and it has an impact on families and staff.” (ID138) | |
| Blurring of boundaries between work and home life | “Working from home was extremely challenging. I found it very difficult as it blurred the lines between work and home, and home lost its sense of the place where you rest and recover.” (ID235) | |
| Stress related to government or health system response to COVID-19 | “The general experience has been one of central authorities being slow to respond. Little recognition of non-frontline workers' stress and combination of increased work and significant stress from threats to personal and staff wellbeing.” (ID631) | |
| Feelings of fear and loss (n = 19) | Fear of COVID-19 exposure and transmission | “Increased stress and worry about spreading it through the unit and becoming a news headline, cancelling social events so not to risk catching coronavirus.” (ID536) |
| Personal financial strain | “Financial strain with loss of income and needing to do extra shifts.” (ID486) | |
| Impact of the media | “Personally, I was extremely stressed during the height of the pandemic. Most of this stemmed from community responses (e.g., panic buying) and seeing news reports from around the world.” (ID187) | |
| Concern about family and friends | “I have serious concerns for overseas family from a health and financial well-being perspective and how COVID has impacted their lives, and when next I will be able to see my immediate family and elderly parents who live overseas.” (ID207) | |
| Social isolation and disconnection (n = 16) | “Can't visit family back home and cannot attend any functions. Not able to attend church mass and holy communion.” (ID635) | |
| POSITIVE EXPERIENCES | ||
| Adapting to change (n = 5) | Finding new ways to support patients | “The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the way I prepare and support patients for heart surgery as surgeries have been cancelled and rescheduled multiple times.” (ID377) |
| Improved work environment and working relationships | “Although it has caused an enormous amount of stress, the change on work practices and working arrangements has positively improved and shaped how we care for patients and work with colleagues.” (ID211) | |
| Improved work-life balance | “I feel bad for saying this and am very careful who I admit this to (as I know many have suffered greatly) but for me, the pandemic has slowed life down (including on the work front) which has actually been good and allowed me to come up for some much needed ‘air’ amid the usual work-life stresses.” (ID195) | |
| Gratitude (n = 4) | Social support | “While I miss travelling overseas and seeing some of my family, I have noticed how lucky I am with my friends, neighbours, and colleagues. I have been surrounded by caring people. I am spending an inordinate amount of time supporting struggling colleagues. I have found inner strength and resilience.” (ID261) |
| Greater time with family and friends | “I have enjoyed the family time that the lockdown enabled.” (ID260) | |