Casafont, Claudia, et al. “Experiences of Nursing Students as Healthcare Aid During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain: A Phemonenological Research Study.” Nurse Education Today, vol. 97, 2021, p. 104711.
The article is a study including the assessment of the experience of nursing students employed as medical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on interaction with the target audience, the authors identify a number of communication barriers that the students surveyed had to face. One of the main difficulties was the isolation of patients due to the threat of the virus transmission. Medical staff could not interact with patients directly but only through a specific bell intercom. This, in turn, correlated with the depressed morale of both nurses and people in treatment. Another constraint that the researchers mentioned was the lack of communication with patients’ loved ones. The inability to obtain comprehensive information from relatives made it difficult to establish a care regimen. Finally, communication between the nurses themselves was challenging due to protective equipment and social distancing restrictions. These barriers are cited as common challenges that healthcare workers face during the pandemic.
Wittenberg, Elaine, et al. “Opportunities to Improve COVID-19 Provider Communication Resources: A Systematic Review.” Patient Education and Counseling, vol. 104, no. 3, 2021, pp. 438-451.
The authors cite a wide range of barriers that nursing staff has faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to restrictions on social contact, telehealth and other remote modes of interaction have become common. However, many patients have experienced difficulty fully accessing the capabilities of such technologies, which, in turn, has hampered effective communication. The researchers also cite burnout as one of the factors that make it difficult to interact productively with patients. Fatigue accumulated during long shifts has a negative impact on morale and prevents staff from demonstrating full productivity. Finally, one of the main barriers is the inability to adhere to patient-centered care due to restrictions on direct interaction. Nurses cannot contact patients directly, which sometimes does not allow them to collect the necessary data and help morally. As a result, these challenges are rated as significant barriers to communication.
Works Cited
Casafont, Claudia, et al. “Experiences of Nursing Students as Healthcare Aid During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain: A Phemonenological Research Study.” Nurse Education Today, vol. 97, 2021, p. 104711.
Wittenberg, Elaine, et al. “Opportunities to Improve COVID-19 Provider Communication Resources: A Systematic Review.” Patient Education and Counseling, vol. 104, no. 3, 2021, pp. 438-451.