ArticleCJEM2022
The responsibility to care: lessons learned from emergency department workers' perspectives during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.
Article in CJEM, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed.
- Building a Global Research Network for Fair, Accountable, Interpretable, and Responsible AI in Emergency Care: Protocol for a FAIR-EC Study.JMIR research protocols · 2026Article
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Canadian healthcare workforce: a rapid evidence synthesis of key considerations, lessons learned, and promising practices to address the healthcare workforce crisis.Health research policy and systems · 2025Article
- Identification of Natural Compounds as Potential COVID-19 Main Protease (Mpro) Inhibitors: A Comprehensive Study andCurrent pharmaceutical design · 2025Review
- Improving Cancer Diagnosis in Alberta, Canada: A Qualitative Study of Emergency Department Healthcare Providers' Perspectives on Diagnosing Cancer in the Emergency Setting.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2024Article
- Does moral distress in emergency department nurses contribute to intentions to leave their post, specialisation, or profession: A systematic review.International journal of nursing studies advances · 2024Review
- 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
- Postpandemic Evaluation of the Eco-Efficiency of Personal Protective Equipment Against COVID-19 in Emergency Departments: Proposal for a Mixed Methods Study.JMIR research protocols · 2023Article
- The impact of COVID-19 on Australian clinicians' decision making in line with the principles of Choosing Wisely.Nursing open · 2023Article
- The Healthcare Relationship during the Second Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study in the Emergency Department of an Italian Hospital.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- The Emergency Medicine Resident Retreat: Creating and Sustaining a Transformative and Reflective Experience.Cureus · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
18 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThis study's objective was to examine emergency department (ED) workers' perspectives during the Canadian COVID-19 first wave.
methodsThis qualitative study included workers from nine Canadian EDs who participated in 3 monthly video focus groups between April and July 2020 to explore (1) personal/professional experiences, (2) patient care and ED work, (3) relationships with teams, institutions and governing bodies. Framework analysis informed data collection and analysis.
resultsThirty-six focus groups and 15 interviews were conducted with 53 participants (including 24 physicians, 16 nurses). Median age was 37.5 years, 51% were female, 79% had more than 5 years' experience. Three main themes emerged. (1) Early in this pandemic, participants felt a responsibility to provide care to patients and solidarity toward their ED colleagues and team, while balancing many risks with their personal protection. (2) ED teams wanted to be engaged in decision-making, based on the best available scientific knowledge. Institutional decisions and clinical guidelines needed to be adapted to the specificity of each ED environment. (3) Working during the pandemic created new sources of moral distress and fatigue, including difficult clinical practices, distance with patients and families, frequent changes in information and added sources of fatigue. Although participants quickly adapted to a "new normal", they were concerned about long-term burnout. Participants who experienced high numbers of patient deaths felt especially unprepared.
interpretationED workers believe they have a responsibility to provide care through a pandemic. Trust in leadership is supported by managers who are present and responsive, transparent in their communication, and involve ED staff in the development and practice of policies and procedures. Such practices will help protect from burnout and ensure the workforce's long-term sustainability.
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