Emergency Medicine Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant Burnout, Perceived Stress, and Utilization of Wellness Resources During 2020 in a Large Urban Medical Center.

The objectives of this study were to measure perceived stress, burnout, and utilization and perceived benefit of wellness practices among emergency medicine (EM) nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs). An additional aim was to evaluate attributions of stress to racism and the COVID-19 pandemic. A 28-item electronic survey of ED NPs/PAs at 3 hospitals was used to measure respondents' perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale), stress attributed to COVID-19 and systemic racism, burnout (2-item measure), and utilization and helpfulness of wellness practices. The sample consisted of 53 ED NPs/PAs respondents (response rate 42.4%). More than one half (58.5%) reported burnout from their job, and a majority (58.5%) reported moderate to high stress. Burnout was reported by 70% of female respondents compared with 30.8% of male respondent (p = 0.002). A large majority (70%) of Black respondents reported concerns about experiencing racism at work, and 58.8% reported higher levels of stress attributed to racism. Respondents reported meals during shifts, community donated personal protective equipment, flexible work hours, and societal offerings of financial support (e.g., Internal Revenue Service stimulus check) as helpful. The COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of systemic racism are significant contributors to the stress and burnout of NPs/PAs. Female ED NPs/PAs disproportionally share the burden of burnout. Strategies to reduce burnout should be prioritized by institutional leadership. In addition, a majority of Black ED NPs/PAs are concerned about experiencing racism at work and report moderate to high stress associated with racism in general. There is an urgent need to address racism in the workplace with training on implicit bias, systemic racism, and allyship behavior.

The impact of racism on emergency health care workers.

INTRODUCTION: Discrimination based on race is a known source of stress in individuals and is a contributor to poor health outcomes in patients. However, less is known about how the experiences of racism impact the stress levels of emergency health care workers (EHCWs). OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to assess the impact that racism has on the stress of EHCWs. METHODS: An anonymous electronic cross-sectional survey of EHCWs including attending physicians, resident physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, and staff at three large metropolitan hospitals was administered in the summer of 2020. The survey evaluated the stress related to systemic racism and the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to the wellness measures utilized to cope with these stressors. The focus of this article is the impact of systemic racism on EHCWs. RESULTS: Of the 576 eligible participants, the total number of respondents utilized for analysis was 260. Overall, 64% of participants were very concerned about the state of racism in the United States, and 30% reported moderate-high or high stress resulting from racism. When stratified by race, 46% of Black participants reported moderate-high or high stress resulting from racism, compared to 31% of other participants of color and 23% of White participants (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Systemic racism is a significant concern and source of stress for EHCWs. Additional research about systemic racism, its impact on medical providers, and more importantly, active strategies to reduce and ultimately eliminate it in health care is needed.

Self-Reported Use of Personal Protective Equipment among Emergency Department Nurses, Physicians and Advanced Practice Providers during the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Emergency departments (EDs) have seen dramatic surges in patients infected with COVID-19 and are high-risk transmission environments. Knowledge, attitudes and practice regarding personal protective equipment (PPE) among ED health care workers (HCWs) during the COVID-19 pandemic have not been studied, thus this study examines this knowledge gap. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional survey of 308 HCWs in two urban EDs in Atlanta, Georgia in April and May of 2020. RESULTS: We surveyed 308 HCWs; 137 responded (44% response rate). All HCWs reported adequate knowledge and 96% reported compliance with PPE guidelines. Reported sources of PPE information: 56.7% charge nurse, 67.3% the institutional COVID-19 website. Frequency of training was positively associated with understanding how to protect themselves and patients (OR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.0-2.9). CONCLUSIONS: Few HCWs are willing to care for patients without PPE, and therefore we should aim for resiliency in the PPE supply chain. EDs should consider multiple communication strategies, including a website with concise information and enhanced training for key personnel, particularly the charge nurse. Attention to frequency in HCW training may be key to improve confidence in protecting themselves and patients. Findings can be leveraged by EDs to implement effective PPE training.

Preparedness, Adaptation, and Innovation: Approach to the COVID-19 Pandemic at a Decentralized, Quaternary Care Department of Emergency Medicine.

The COVID-19 pandemic has required healthcare systems to be creative and adaptable in response to an unprecedented crisis. Below we describe how we prepared for and adapted to this pandemic at our decentralized, quaternary-care department of emergency medicine, with specific recommendations from our experience. We discuss our longstanding history of institutional preparedness, as well as adaptations in triage, staffing, workflow, and communications. We also discuss innovation through working with industry on solutions in personal protective equipment, as well as telemedicine and methods for improving morale. These preparedness and response solutions and recommendations may be useful moving forward as we transition between response and recovery in this pandemic as well as future pandemics.

Cell proliferation and inflammation on biopsy samples with multifocal atrophic gastritis before and 1 year after Helicobacter pylori eradication.

CONTEXT: Results of clinical trials that have assessed whether gastric cancer is preventable with Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy remain inconclusive. These trials have used atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, and dysplasia as histopathologic end points that reflect possible preneoplastic lesions. Trial results would be more compelling if cell proliferation and inflammatory markers improved simultaneously with histopathologic lesions. OBJECTIVE: To study the presence of cell proliferation markers and type of inflammatory cells in biopsy specimens with gastritis, atrophy, and intestinal metaplasia before and 1 year after H pylori therapy and to determine if immunohistochemistry can be used to study these. DESIGN: We evaluated 12 subjects with gastritis and 16 with gastritis and multiple foci of atrophy and intestinal metaplasia by using immunohistochemical assays for tumor suppressor protein p53, proliferation marker Ki-67, cell cycle regulator cyclin D1, T and B lymphocytes, macrophages, and TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotide transferase deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling) assay for apoptosis. The biopsy specimens were selected from a randomized clinical trial that studied improvement of histopathologic gastric lesions after H pylori eradication. RESULTS: Groups of surface epithelial cells that expressed p53 and Ki-67 were observed more often in subjects with atrophy and intestinal metaplasia compared with those with gastritis alone. T lymphocytes in the lamina propria were frequently observed 1 year after treatment in subjects with atrophy and intestinal metaplasia. CONCLUSIONS: Immunohistochemical assays for cell proliferation and inflammatory cell markers showed different distribution patterns in these gastric biopsy specimens. The presence of T lymphocytes and groups of cells that expressed proliferation markers in subjects with multiple foci of atrophy and intestinal metaplasia needs further study.