Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic acutely threatened physicians’ psychological wellbeing, and the strength of the critical care workforce as a whole. Therefore, in this study we sought to elicit frontline Intensive Care Unit (ICU) physicians’ perspectives on stressors and helpful responses during COVID-19 surges. We conducted a qualitative, observational study of ICU physician wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic from September 2020 to January 2021. We used the Framework Method to analyze the qualitative data. We then further organized responses into five categories of needs (basic, safety, respect, appreciation/connection, ability to heal patients and contribute) based on a healthcare worker wellbeing model adapted for ICU physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. We interviewed 24 ICU physicians who worked on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic during at least one surge. Physicians discussed stressors and helpful responses aligning with each of the five domains. Almost all physicians mentioned visitor restrictions as a major challenge during COVID-19 surges. Physicians valued supportive responses from their institutions and community during surges. Interventions aimed at bolstering individual resilience such as meditation or yoga classes were viewed as less useful. The COVID-19 pandemic put immense strain on ICU physicians across many domains of human need. Interventions such as institutional preparedness, creating pathways for communication, and overt demonstrations of support were perceived by physicians to reduce stress. Such institutional-level interventions can promote physician wellbeing during the current COVID-19 pandemic and in preparation for future healthcare crises.
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The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Joaquin Chapa, MD and Tara Thomas, BA for their valuable contributions to this work.
Funding
This study was supported by an award from a local pilot grant and resources from the Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care (SWI 20–002) at the VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon. It was also supported by resources from the VA Portland Health Care System. Dr. Nugent is supported by an American Cancer Society Mentored Research Scholar Grant (MSRG-18–216-CPHPS), Dr. Vranas is supported by a VA CDA (1IK2HX003005-01).
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All authors have made substantial contributions to the 1) conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; 2) have contributed to drafting the article for important intellectual content; and 3) have provided final approval of the version to be published. Natalie Disher takes responsibility for the content of the manuscript, including data and analysis.
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Authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. The Department of Veterans Affairs did not have a role in the conduct of the study; in the collection, management, analysis, or interpretation of data; or in the preparation of the manuscript. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the U.S. Government.
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Disher, N., Vranas, K.C., Golden, S.E. et al. Findings from a qualitative study about ICU physicians’ wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Curr Psychol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-05722-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-05722-1