Evaluation of Emergency Care Services During COVID-19 Pandemic: Healthcare Staff Perspectives

Abstract

Background: Emergency Departments (EDs) are critical and vital in the healthcare system. The main aim of EDs is to provide healthcare in the shortest time, fast and with high quality. Therefore, the services provided in the EDs should be well organized, carried out carefully and provided in good conditions. However, in the current situation, EDs are in a difficult situation both in Turkey and in the world because of COVID-19 pandemic which had significant negative effects on the EDs. ED healthcare staff are facing an enormous mental burden as well as physical exertion when caring for patients potentially infected with COVID-19. There is limited literature regarding the psychological effects of this type of disease outbreak on healthcare staff. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the experiences of ED healthcare staff regarding the emergency care services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study utilised cross-sectional design. The data were collected from the 256 ED healthcare staff working in nine different hospitals located in Mardin, Turkey between 15/05/2021 and 15/08/2021. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics by using SPSS. Results: 256 participants were included in the study. 58.6% of participants were nurses, 19.5% of them were general practitioners and 21.9% of them were emergency medical technicians. 67.2% of participants infected with COVID-19 and almost all of them (94.1%) have been psychologically affected by the pandemic process. It was determined that nurses were separated from their families at the highest rate (78%) during this period. Conclusion: More than half of the ED healthcare staff have had problems accessing protective equipment, and have been separated from their families during the pandemic due to the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Although the number of ED visits decreased due to restrictions at the beginning of the pandemic, ED visits increased again with the abolition of restrictions.