Abstract
My study explores the experiences of healthcare assistants working within mental health settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research project aims to understand the experiences of a healthcare assistants (HCA’s) within the healthcare sector in order to suggest recommendations for delivering practical/resource support to employees in the future. COVID-19 has put healthcare under pressure in ways the UK has not seen for almost a hundred years. The pressures came from constant changing government guidance and subsequent workplace changes and increased pressures surrounding workload and changing workplace practice. Due to COVID-19 being a recent phenomenon, the available literature on the effect of the pandemic within healthcare is sparse, especially concerning the experience of HCA’s within mental health. This study looks to fill the gap and make sure HCA’s views are recorded. The study is exploring the personal experiences of HCA’s within their workplace, during the pandemic which often involved conflicts of conscience. The existing literature on COVID-19 and previous research on other respiratory diseases will help shape the study and demonstrate why qualitative research is vital to understanding frontline workers’ perspectives, compared to the majority of quantitative studies available. I use the data from this study to explore the thematic similarities and differences of HCA’s experiences in the hope that it may then be used to help deliver recommendations, resources, and training for future similar outbreaks or emergencies that arise - as well as giving a basis for other researchers to use.
Presenters
Naomi Mclellan EdwardsStudent, Doctorate of Professional Practice Community and Social Care, University of Central Lancashire, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
KEYWORDS
COVID-19, MENTAL HEALTH, HCA, PHENOMINOLOGY
