Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34940952›Full record

ArticleCanadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie2022

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on intensive care unit workers: a nationwide survey.

Sangeeta Mehta, Christopher Yarnell, Sumesh Shah, Peter Dodek, Jeanna Parsons-Leigh, Robert Maunder, Jessica Kayitesi, Catherine Eta-Ndu, Fran Priestap, Danielle LeBlanc and 3 more

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PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 35 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
35citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

35 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  6. A national survey of factors leading to health care worker turnover in Canadian intensive care units.Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Sangeeta MehtaDepartment of Medicine, Sinai Health; and Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. Geeta.mehta@utoronto.ca.
Christopher YarnellDepartment of Medicine, Sinai Health; and Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Sumesh ShahDepartment of Medicine, Sinai Health; and Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Peter DodekCenter for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences and Division of Critical Care Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Jeanna Parsons-LeighFaculty of Health, School of Health Administration, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Robert MaunderDepartment of Psychiatry, Sinai Health and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Jessica KayitesiDepartment of Nursing, Sinai Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Catherine Eta-NduDepartment of Nursing, Sinai Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Fran PriestapDepartment of Surgery, Trauma Program, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON, Canada.
Danielle LeBlancDepartment of Medicine, Division of Critical Care, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
Jennifer ChenDepartment of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
Kimia HonarmandDepartment of Medicine, Division of Critical Care, Western University, London, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7583-1445
Canadian Critical Care Trials Group

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canadian intensive care unit (ICU) workers.

methodsBetween June and August 2020, we distributed a cross-sectional online survey of ICU workers evaluating the impact of the pandemic, coping strategies, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD; Impact of Events Scale-Revised), and psychological distress, anxiety, and depression (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale). We performed regression analyses to determine the predictors of psychological symptoms.

resultsWe analyzed responses from 455 ICU workers (80% women; 67% from Ontario; 279 nurses, 69 physicians, and 107 other healthcare professionals). Respondents felt that their job put them at great risk of exposure (60%), were concerned about transmitting COVID-19 to family members (76%), felt more stressed at work (67%), and considered leaving their job (37%). Overall, 25% had probable PTSD and 18% had minimal or greater psychological distress. Nurses were more likely to report PTSD symptoms (33%) and psychological distress (23%) than physicians (5% for both) and other health disciplines professionals (19% and 14%). Variables associated with PTSD and psychological distress included female sex (beta-coefficient [B], 1.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20 to 2.10 and B, 3.79; 95% CI, 1.79 to 5.78, respectively; P < 0.001 for differences in scores across groups) and perceived increased risk due to PPE shortage or inadequate PPE training (B, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.51 to 2.31 and B, 4.88; 95% CI, 3.34 to 6.43, respectively). Coping strategies included talking to friends/family/colleagues (80%), learning about COVID-19 (78%), and physical exercise (68%). Over half endorsed the following workplace strategies as valuable: hospital-provided scrubs, clear communication and protocols by hospitals, knowing their voice is heard, subsidized parking, and gestures of appreciation from leadership.

conclusionsThis survey study shows that ICU workers have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with high levels of stress and psychological burden. Respondents endorsed communication, protocols, and appreciation from leadership as helpful mitigating strategies.

Indexed as

COVID-19PandemicsCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHealth PersonnelHumansIntensive Care UnitsMaleOntarioSARS-CoV-2Surveys and QuestionnairesCOVID-19healthcare workersintensive care unitpandemicpsychological distress

Identifiers

PMID34940952
PMCPMC8697539

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.