A qualitative study examining stressors among Respiratory Therapists in Ontario amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Autor:	Saragosa M; Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada., Goraya F; Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada., Nowrouzi-Kia B; Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto Toronto, ON, Canada.; Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.; Centre for Research in Occupational Safety & Health, Sudbury, ON, Canada., Gohar B; Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.; Centre for Research in Occupational Safety & Health, Sudbury, ON, Canada.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	PloS one [PLoS One] 2024 Dec 12; Vol. 19 (12), pp. e0312504. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Dec 12 (Print Publication: 2024).
DOI:	10.1371/journal.pone.0312504
Abstrakt:	Health care systems were subjected to an unprecedented surge of critically ill patients with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which required management by Respiratory Therapists (RTs). Despite the high level of burnout reported in this health care professional group, we have limited knowledge about the lived experience of RTs during the pandemic. This study aims to examine the impact of COVID-19 on RTs in Ontario, Canada. We conducted a qualitative exploratory, descriptive study by conducting virtual semi-structured interviews and focus groups with RTs between March 2023 and June 2023. Two coders analyzed the data using thematic analysis. Twenty-seven RTs participated in the study, with the majority being female (n = 25), averaging 16.4 years of practice (range 4 to 36 years), primarily in acute care settings (n = 23). We identified four themes and lessons learned from the perspective of RTs: (1) Working in the shadow and suffering in silence reflecting varying perceptions of recognition; (2) Flying blind amidst the buzz reflecting the rapid pace of changing policies and practices as COVID-19 gained global attention; (3) Putting out fires in the face of overflowing hospitals reflecting increased workload and staffing issues; and (4) Managing tensions, both external and internal reflecting how RTs coped with distressing workplace situations and their mental well-being. Finally, lessons learned from the RTs include 1) Mobilizing early and consistently during an emergency, which addresses staff concerns; 2) Prioritizing and investing in the mental health and well-being of RTs; 3) Implementing strategies to retain experienced staff in healthcare; and 4) Involving RTs in leadership discussions. The COVID-19 stressors of RTs have illuminated the detrimental impact of the pandemic on this understudied health care profession. With this knowledge, targeted interventions can be developed to address RT recognition and staff retention and provide mental health support. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. (Copyright: © 2024 Saragosa et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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