Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore lived experiences of rehabilitation professionals working in hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the ethical issues and moral distress that these professionals might have encountered.
Methods: An interpretative phenomenological study was performed. First-person experiences of rehabilitation professionals (dieticians, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language therapists) were collected with semi-structured interviews and analyzed with interpretative phenomenological analysis.
Results: The data of 39 hospital-based rehabilitation professionals revealed 4 themes: a disease with great impact, personal health and safety, staying human in chaotic times, and solidarity and changing roles. Participant experiences show that the virus and COVID-19 measures had a significant impact on the in-hospital working environment due to the massive downscaling of regular care, due to infection prevention measures, and due to unknown risks to rehabilitation professionals' personal health. At the same time, participants experienced a certain freedom, which made room for authentic motives, connection, and solidarity. Participants felt welcomed and appreciated at the COVID-19 wards and intensive care units and were proud that they were able to fulfill their roles. The findings reflect a wide range of situations that were morally complex and led to moral distress.
Conclusion: To diminish the long-lasting negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and moral distress, employers should empathize with the experiences of hospital-based rehabilitation professionals and create conditions for ethical reflection. Our data show that hospital-based rehabilitation professionals value professional autonomy. Creating room for professional autonomy helps them feel needed, connected, and energized. However, the needs of hospital-based rehabilitation professionals may conflict with organizational rules and structures.
Impact: Hospital-based rehabilitation professionals were involved in situations they considered morally undesirable, and they inevitably faced moral distress during the COVID-19 crisis. This study offers rationale and guidance to employers regarding how to reduce the long-term negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rehabilitation professionals.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9129175 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzac052 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
The complexity of home-based rehabilitation technology implementation for post-stroke motor rehabilitation in the Netherlands.
BMC Health Serv Res
January 2025
Socio-Medical Sciences Department, Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Background: Rehabilitation technology is a growing field, but the sustainable implementation of these technologies, particularly in home settings, is lacking. The aim of this study was to explore the factors influencing the uptake of stroke rehabilitation technology among various stakeholders, including developers, healthcare professionals, individuals who had strokes, strategic experts, management and innovation staff, health insurers, and the National Health Care Institute.
Methods: In total, 22 semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive stakeholder sample.
Enhancing university students' engagement in studying assistive technology by case-based active learning: a pilot study in Hong Kong.
Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol
January 2025
Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Assistive technology (AT) professionals are in pressing need with nowadays growing aged/disabled population, so as well-designed higher education programs in this field. This study designed and implemented a case-based active learning approach within an undergraduate course related to AT in Hong Kong, and assessed its impact on enhancing student engagement over two academic years. A total of twelve multimedia patient case dossiers on six major physical disabilities were created.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCough and sputum symptoms reduce physical activity in patients with NTM pulmonary disease.
Int J Tuberc Lung Dis
January 2025
Department of Physical Therapy Science, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.
"We are doing it together, don't worry" - A qualitative study on the implementation of electronic medical records in German hospitals.
Z Evid Fortbild Qual Gesundhwes
January 2025
Institute of Medical Sociology, Health Services Research, and Rehabilitation Science, Faculty of Human Sciences & Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Background: The ongoing implementation of electronic medical records (EMRs) in German hospitals is currently slow. Implementation science widely acknowledges the barriers and facilitators to implementation. Thus, specific preconditions are necessary to address the former and to support an effective EMR implementation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRemote guidance: enabling tele-supervised community-based rehabilitation worker intervention to facilitate communication in a child with cleft lip and palate.
BMJ Case Rep
January 2025
Department of Speech Language Pathology, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Cleft lip and palate (CLP) significantly impact speech and language development in children. In remote areas, access to specialised services is often limited, necessitating innovative approaches for effective service delivery. This case report explores the potential of tele-supervised intervention provided by community-based rehabilitation workers (CBRWs) to enhance communication outcomes for children with CLP.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!