ArticleBMJ open2021
Lived experiences of healthcare workers on the front line during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative interview study.
Article in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
25 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 41 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Teamwork and relational infrastructure: a qualitative study of modern UK general practice.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2026Article
- Secondary stressors and their psychosocial impacts on healthcare staff: lessons from a qualitative systematic review from the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK.BJPsych open · 2025Review
- Experiences of U.S. frontline physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2025Article
- Burnout among South African nurses during the peak of COVID-19 pandemic: a holistic investigation.BMC nursing · 2025Article
- "It was simply disturbing" - evaluation of the stress factors of nursing staff on special COVID-19 wards during the pandemic: a qualitative study.BMC nursing · 2025Article
- Death and dying during the COVID-19-pandemic - A qualitative evaluation of stress factors for nursing staff.Palliative care and social practice · 2025Article
- Provision of Public Dental Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences of Dental Staff in Greater Western Sydney, Australia.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
- The Wellbeing of Healthcare Workers during COVID-19 Era in Public Primary Health Facilities in Johannesburg, South Africa.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
- Experiences of Spanish out-of-hospital emergency workers with high levels of depression during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2024Article
- Cross-sectional survey of sexual health professionals' experiences and perceptions of the 2022 mpox outbreak in the UK.BMJ open · 2024Article
- "Trust people you've never worked with" - A social network visualization of teamwork, cohesion, social support, and mental health in NHS Covid personnel.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
- Lived-in experiences of health care professionals affected with COVID-19.Indian journal of psychiatry · 2023Article
- Health Experiences of Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Study.Western journal of nursing research · 2023Article
- Article
- In it together?: Exploring solidarity with frontline workers in the United Kingdom and Ireland during COVID-19.The British journal of social psychology · 2023Article
- The mental health and wellbeing of healthcare workers during COVID-19 in South Africa.Health SA = SA Gesondheid · 2023Article
- The lived experiences of emergency care personnel in the Western Cape, South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal hermeneutic phenomenological study.African journal of emergency medicine : Revue africaine de la medecine d'urgence · 2022Article
- A critical care outreach team under strain - Evaluation of the service provided to patients with haematological malignancy during the Covid-19 pandemic.Journal of critical care · 2022Article
- Making It Work: The Experiences of Delivering a Community Mental Health Service during the COVID-19 Pandemic.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThis study aimed to investigate the presence of perceived stressors, psychological safety and teamwork in healthcare professionals. As the timeframe for this study spanned the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, data were captured demonstrating the impact of the pandemic on these factors.
designQualitative interview study.
settingAll staff working within the emergency and critical care departments of one National Health Service Trust in London, UK.
participantsForty-nine participants were recruited using a purposive sampling technique and interviewed when the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic had subsided.
main outcome measuresEvaluation of changes in perceived stressors, psychological safety and teamwork in individuals working during the COVID-19 pandemic.
resultsThe thematic analysis relating to a participant's lived experiences while working during COVID-19 led to the construction of five key themes, including 'psychological effects' and 'changes in team dynamics'. Several psychological effects were described, including the presence of psychological distress and insights into the aetiology of moral injury. There was marked heterogeneity in participants' response to COVID-19, particularly with respect to changes in team dynamics and the perception of a psychologically safe environment. Descriptions of improved team cohesiveness and camaraderie contrasted with stories of new barriers, notably due to the high workload and the impact of personal protective equipment. Building on these themes, a map of key changes arising due to the pandemic was developed, highlighting potential opportunities to provide targeted support.
conclusionsWorking on the front line of a pandemic can have significant implications for healthcare workers, putting them at risk of psychological distress and moral injury, as well as affecting team dynamics. There is striking heterogeneity in the manifestation of these challenges. Team leaders can use the themes and qualitative data from this study to help identify areas for management focus and individual and team support.
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Registered trials
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.