Healthcare workers’ experiences in caring for critically ill COVID-19 patients at a tertiary hospital in Malawi

Abstract

Introduction
The coronavirus pandemic overwhelmed the healthcare landscape, placing a strain on healthcare workers worldwide. In addition to
directly causing the deaths of people, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted critical health services in developing countries. The study
aimed to explore the experiences of healthcare workers who cared for critically ill COVID-19 patients at a tertiary hospital in Malawi.
Methods
A qualitative descriptive design was used. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews with doctors, clinical officers, nurses, and
allied staff (n=25) who were involved in the care of critically ill COVID-19 patients at the hospital’s COVID-19 treatment centres during
the first and second waves of the pandemic in Malawi. The interviews were conducted in English, audiotaped, and later transcribed
verbatim. Conventional content analysis was used to analyse the data following the steps proposed by Hsieh and Shannon1.
Results
The overall experience of the health workers was negative. However, delivering care to critically ill COVID-19 patients was associated
with positive and negative experiences. The positive experience was a result of teamwork among staff and support from hospital authorities
and the community. Negative experiences, on the other hand, were attributed to a lack of knowledge and skills in managing critically ill
COVID-19 patients, a lack of resources, and abuse by some patients and members of the community. Furthermore, there was fear of
contracting the virus from patients and fellow health workers while providing care.
Conclusion
The findings point to the need for adequate preparedness within the health sector to support and protect the healthcare workers and
individuals they look after. There is a need for disease awareness strategies for health workers and the general public for future pandemics.