Browsing by Person "Mccallum, Louise"

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The impact on redeployed nurses of working in critical care during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study
(Wiley, 2025-06-25) Mccallum, Louise; Dixon, Diane; Pollard, Beth; Miller, Jordan; Hull, Alastair; Scott, Teresa; Salisbury, Lisa; Ramsay, Pam; Rattray, Janice
Background Many nurses with little critical care experience were redeployed to critical care units during the COVID-19 pandemic to assist with the increased numbers of critically ill patients. The impact of this redeployment on nurses and their employing organization merits detailed assessment. Aims To (a) measure the impact on redeployed nurses of working in critical care during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify the predictors of that impact, (b) identify any differences between redeployed and critical care nurses and (c) measure the organizational impact. Study Design A cross-sectional study of redeployed (n = 200) and critical care nurses (n = 461) within the United Kingdom's National Health Service between January 2021 and March 2022. A survey measured components of the Job Demand-Resources Model of occupational stress. Free text questions enabled nurses to describe their experiences of being redeployed to critical care during the pandemic. Results Survey data indicated high levels of health impairment; 70% of redeployed nurses met the threshold for psychological distress, 52% for burnout and 35% had clinically significant symptoms of posttraumatic stress. When job demands (emotional load, mental load, pace and amount of work and role conflict) were high, health impairment was worse and when job resources (staffing, focus on well-being and learning opportunities) were low, work engagement was reduced. Free text comments illustrated both the stress and distress experienced by redeployed nurses. Conclusion Many redeployed nurses experienced significant negative consequences and potentially enduring sequelae of working in critical care during the pandemic. These may continue to affect individual and organizational outcomes. Relevance to Clinical Practice Nurses' well-being should be monitored, and appropriate services provided. Improvements in ongoing and meaningful communications with senior management alongside prioritization of ongoing professional development are required.
“Like fighting a fire with a water pistol”: A qualitative study of the work experiences of critical care nurses during the COVID ‐19 pandemic
(2023-07-28) Miller, Jordan; Young, Ben; Mccallum, Louise; Rattray, Janice; Ramsay, Pam; Salisbury, Lisa; Scott, Teresa; Hull, Alastair; Cole, Stephen; Pollard, Beth; Dixon, Diane
Aim: To understand the experience of critical care nurses during the COVID‐19 pandemic, through the application of the Job‐Demand‐Resource model of occupational stress. Design: Qualitative interview study. Methods: Twenty‐eight critical care nurses (CCN) working in ICU in the UK NHS during the COVID‐19 pandemic took part in semi‐structured interviews between May 2021 and May 2022. Interviews were guided by the constructs of the Job‐Demand Resource model. Data were analysed using framework analysis. Results: The most difficult job demands were the pace and amount, complexity, physical and emotional effort of their work. Prolonged high demands led to CCN experiencing emotional and physical exhaustion, burnout, post‐traumatic stress symptoms and impaired sleep. Support from colleagues and supervisors was a core job resource. Sustained demands and impaired physical and psychological well‐being had negative organizational consequences with CCN expressing increased intention to leave their role. Conclusions: The combination of high demands and reduced resources had negative impacts on the psychological well‐being of nurses which is translating into increased consideration of leaving their profession. Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care: The full impacts of the pandemic on the mental health of CCN are unlikely to resolve without appropriate interventions. Impact: Managers of healthcare systems should use these findings to inform: (i) the structure and organization of critical care workplaces so that they support staff to be well, and (ii) supportive interventions for staff who are carrying significant psychological distress as a result of working during and after the pandemic. These changes are required to improve staff recruitment and retention. Reporting Method: We used the COREQ guidelines for reporting qualitative studies. Patient and Public Contribution: Six CCN provided input to survey content and interview schedule. Two authors and members of the study team (T.S. and S.C.) worked in critical care during the pandemic.