'We shouldn't waste a good crisis': the lived experience of working on the frontline through the first surge (and beyond) of COVID-19 in the UK and Ireland
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Samantha Hughes; Elaine Louise Kinsella; Natasha Stonebridge; Rachel C Sumner; Sarah Lemon
- Source
- Psychologyhealth. 37(2)
- Subject
- 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak
Economic growth
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
Health Personnel
BF
medicine.disease_cause
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
medicine
Humans
030212 general & internal medicine
Resilience (network)
Applied Psychology
Ecosystem
Coronavirus
030505 public health
SARS-CoV-2
Lived experience
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Outbreak
COVID-19
General Medicine
General Chemistry
United Kingdom
0305 other medical science
Psychology
Ireland
- Language
- ISSN
- 1476-8321
Objective: Frontline workers have shown extraordinary resilience and sustained efforts since the outbreak of COVID-19. The present study used semi-structured interviews with 38 frontline workers in the UK and Ireland to explore the psychological impact of working through COVID-19.\ud Design: The qualitative data were analysed systematically using thematic analysis. \ud Results: Four themes were interpreted: 1)) “I’ve stopped turning the telly on. I’ve had to because the news was making me ill”: An ecosystem of influence; 2) “Dead, dead, dead”: The emotional and psychological toll: 3) “It's shone a light on what we're failing on as well”: Injustices, hierarchies and heroes: and 4) “I definitely think COVID happened for a reason to stop us in our tracks and to slow us down”: Unexpected positives. \ud Conclusion: This research offers insights into how frontline workers make sense of their experiences during periods of enormous societal and occupational stress. The learnings generated have relevance for government and organisational policy-makers who have opportunities to shape future conditions for frontline workers.