The experiences of cooperation among healthcare workers who participated in COVID-19 aid mission in China: A qualitative study.

ABSTRACT

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To assist future offsite planning for pandemics, we documented lived experiences of cooperation among healthcare workers (HCWs) during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic poses a global health crisis. Most recent studies on the COVID-19 focus on frontline HCWs' physio-psychological experiences, with few studies examining their experiences of cooperation. DESIGN: A descriptive phenomenological design reported based on COREQ checklist. METHODS: 25 HCWs (17 nurses and eight physicians) were interviewed, selected through convenience and purposive sampling, who participated in a medical aid mission in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected via semi-structured online video interviews, and the transcripts were analysed using Colaizzi's phenomenological method. RESULTS: The HCWs experienced stressed and anxious, but rated their overall cooperation experience as positive. We categorised the reported experiences in five themes (1) a multi-level management structure; (2) nurse managers as internal and external team coordinators; (3) high morale and a mutual supportive context; (4) a continuous streamlined workflow; and (5) the value of multidisciplinary collaboration in care. Reasonable management structure and division of work were the basis for successful aid mission. High morale and a mutual supportive context were foundational for growth and stress mitigation. The HCWs continuously streamlined workflow through communication and met patients' individual need through multidisciplinary collaboration. CONCLUSIONS: Planning for a pandemic aid mission is challenging, given the unpredictable nature of the working circumstances. Our results underline the importance of supportive strategies for COVID-19 aid mission. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Recommendations for future pandemic planning (1) positive morale and supportive working text should be paid prioritised attention; (2) sufficient experienced and ancillary staff should be recruited; (3) multiple communication channels such as regular handover meetings, online chat applications and electronic recording devices are essential, and (4) multidisciplinary cooperation are is necessary in COVID-19 wards.