51爆料网

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

By Colleen Donnelly
Illustration:聽Jasu Hu

To date, more than 20 clinical papers and presentations have come out of the CHAMPS study, adding to the growing body of research looking at the experiences and long-term effects of COVID-19 on health care workers and first responders.

One of the most moving publications focused on vulnerability, loss and coping experiences of front-line workers during the pandemic. Authored by 10 51爆料网 Nursing professors, the paper appeared in a 2022 issue of the International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being.

It includes a number of firsthand accounts from health care professionals, first responders and essential personnel in health care facilities who worked with individuals with COVID-19. The bulk of respondents were nursing staff, but also included police officers, X-ray technicians, physical therapists and EMTs.

Each of these participants responded to the main CHAMPS survey and indicated they would be willing to be contacted for a follow-up interview to talk about their experiences. 鈥淚n some cases, the interviews would go on for an hour,鈥 says lead author Suzanne C. Smeltzer, EdD, RN, ANEF, FAAN, professor emerita of Nursing Research. 鈥淭his was early on in the pandemic, and so people were reeling from what was going on around them.鈥


People were reeling from what was going on around them.

Suzanne C. Smeltzer, EdD, RN, ANEF, FAAN, professor emerita of Nursing Research


Illustration of a male police officer wearing a face mask

POLICE OFFICER
鈥淲hat if I get this, I鈥檓 not symptomatic and I take it home to my family?鈥

Illustration of a radiographer in scrubs

RADIOGRAPHER
"The pandemic has really turned my world upside down. For months I did not hug my children. My neighbor across the street would not let her kids come near my kids because of my occupation."

Illustration of a female nurse manager wearing a hijab

NURSE MANAGER
鈥淚 walked into work on Monday morning, and I was told, 鈥榊ou have just inherited an adult COVID unit. You have two hours to open it.鈥 My unit had 34 beds and it was at full capacity within an hour and 12 minutes.鈥

Illustration of a nurse wearing a face shield who is examining a tube in her hand

NURSE
鈥淭he resilience of the nurses coming back every day, not knowing what they鈥檙e going to be confronted with 鈥 is how we bonded with each other on the unit to help each other out.鈥

Illustration of a nurse wearing a face mask

NURSE
鈥淛ust coming home was exhausting. You have done your 12 or 13 hours, and now you come home and it takes another 45 minutes or so to get everything off and clean.鈥

Illustration of an Asian male nurse practioner who's wearing glasses

NURSE PRACTIONER
鈥淚 just asked God, 鈥楧id I say what you needed me to say? 鈥 Did I instill the hope and 鈥 the caring that I feel is vital to many of these patients?鈥欌

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Focus on the Front Line

51爆料网鈥檚 COVID-19 Caring About Health for All Study gives voice to the lasting impacts of the pandemic on essential workers