Page 117 - Petelin, Ana. 2021. Ed. Zdravje starostnikov / Health of the Elderly. Proceedings. Koper: University of Primorska Press.
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the spread of the virus. The research question is: which kinds of problems use of personal protective equipment during the covid-19 epidemic in nursing homes - a students’ perspective 115
did the students observe in Slovenia’s nursing homes among the staff and res-
idents arising from PPE use and the other measures to limit the virus’ spread
with a focus on resources, staff knowledge, consistent use of PPE and associat-
ed errors.
Methods
In spring 2021, we conducted in-depth interviews with ten nursing and medi-
cal students who had worked during the first wave and/or were working during
the second wave of the epidemic across Slovenia as part of ‘Covid expeditions’
in nursing homes, places most impacted by the epidemic. The coronavirus sit-
uation meant the interviews were performed using the Zoom interface. Inter-
views were recorded, transcribed and then coded in NVivo.
Content analysis was carried out to answer the research question. Stu-
dents were asked to describe issues arising at work they had noticed among the
students, staff and residents in nursing homes while implementing measures to
limit the virus’ spread and using PPE. We asked them about material shortages,
organisational problems and epidemic-related situations in the nursing homes
where they were working. We asked them how they assessed the knowledge of
staff and consistency in PPE use.
We summarised the main themes and supported the key findings with
quotes from the interviewees and translated them into English. Students la-
belled with numbers 1–5 had worked in nursing homes during the first wave,
while students labelled 6–10 had done so during the second wave of the COV-
ID-19 epidemic.
Results
We coded the text and designed the themes. The focus of analysis followed the
aim of our research by considering the observed availability of resources (staff
and PPE), knowledge and consistency of PPE use by staff, errors made while us-
ing PPE and implementing preventive measures to limit the spread of the coro-
navirus, and the problems encountered by residents during the epidemic.
Staff shortage and exhaustion
Almost all the students who had worked in both waves reported staff shortag-
es: “In terms of staff, there was a general shortage anyway” (S2), and an increase
in staff working hours: “They have been working to such a schedule for a very
long time. Regardless of weekends, holidays. 12 hours, 12 hours...” (S1). It is also
more difficult to work while using a lot of PPE.
Consequently, staff shortages and work overload create difficulties for the
implementation of virus control measures: “There was supposed to be a team
of people, who were meant to work only in the red zone and the rest, who were
did the students observe in Slovenia’s nursing homes among the staff and res-
idents arising from PPE use and the other measures to limit the virus’ spread
with a focus on resources, staff knowledge, consistent use of PPE and associat-
ed errors.
Methods
In spring 2021, we conducted in-depth interviews with ten nursing and medi-
cal students who had worked during the first wave and/or were working during
the second wave of the epidemic across Slovenia as part of ‘Covid expeditions’
in nursing homes, places most impacted by the epidemic. The coronavirus sit-
uation meant the interviews were performed using the Zoom interface. Inter-
views were recorded, transcribed and then coded in NVivo.
Content analysis was carried out to answer the research question. Stu-
dents were asked to describe issues arising at work they had noticed among the
students, staff and residents in nursing homes while implementing measures to
limit the virus’ spread and using PPE. We asked them about material shortages,
organisational problems and epidemic-related situations in the nursing homes
where they were working. We asked them how they assessed the knowledge of
staff and consistency in PPE use.
We summarised the main themes and supported the key findings with
quotes from the interviewees and translated them into English. Students la-
belled with numbers 1–5 had worked in nursing homes during the first wave,
while students labelled 6–10 had done so during the second wave of the COV-
ID-19 epidemic.
Results
We coded the text and designed the themes. The focus of analysis followed the
aim of our research by considering the observed availability of resources (staff
and PPE), knowledge and consistency of PPE use by staff, errors made while us-
ing PPE and implementing preventive measures to limit the spread of the coro-
navirus, and the problems encountered by residents during the epidemic.
Staff shortage and exhaustion
Almost all the students who had worked in both waves reported staff shortag-
es: “In terms of staff, there was a general shortage anyway” (S2), and an increase
in staff working hours: “They have been working to such a schedule for a very
long time. Regardless of weekends, holidays. 12 hours, 12 hours...” (S1). It is also
more difficult to work while using a lot of PPE.
Consequently, staff shortages and work overload create difficulties for the
implementation of virus control measures: “There was supposed to be a team
of people, who were meant to work only in the red zone and the rest, who were
