Exploring the psychosocial effects of the Coronavirus 2019 (covid-19) pandemic on foreign national critical care nurses employed in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Globally, the Covid-19 pandemic has confronted Critical Care nurses with an even greater, unprecedented challenge and to a great extent, exposed them to many risk factors. This has a profound psychosocial and psychological impact on their mental health and their well-being (El-Hage et al. 2020: 73). The same study notes that, foreign national Critical Care nurses have to deal with numerous end-of-life decisions, shortage of beds and inadequate supplies such as, shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and the fear of getting infected or infecting others. In Saudi Arabia, the healthcare nursing workforce is comprised of both Saudi nationals and foreign nationals who are employed as contract workers. The greater proportion of the Critical Care Unit in Saudi Arabia comprises foreign nationals (Almalki et al. 2011a: 304). Although the initial Covid-19 outbreak was under control, there was still risk of viral transmission through the population and the disease continued to end in fatalities (Alshammari et al. 2020: 898). The purpose of this study was to use in-depth interviews to understand the psychological needs of foreign national Critical Care nurses working in extraordinary epidemic situations, and to analyse the main content of their psychological and psychosocial needs through the lens of the ERG theory and to provide a perspective for interventions to alleviate the psychosocial and the psychological stress of foreign national Critical Care nurses at the front-line. Aim of the study The aim of the study was to explore the psychosocial effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on Saudi Arabian foreign national Critical Care nurses. Methodology In the proposed study, a qualitative, exploratory design was followed to explore the psychosocial effects on foreign national Critical Care nurses who nursed Covid-19 patients in the Critical Care Unit. A qualitative explorative phenomenological design was particularly relevant to this study as this approach allowed for engagement and interaction with the foreign national Critical Care nurses through interviews whilst striving for subjectivity. The phenomenological method focuses on the experiences and feelings of participants to find shared patterns rather than individual characteristics of the research subjects. Findings The findings of the study were aligned to Alderfer’s ERG theory and provided evidence that foreign national Critical Care nurses experienced psychosocial factors whilst caring for Covid-19 critically ill patients. Critical Care nurses experienced great stress when they were fighting against Covid-19 with their own needs for health, safety, interpersonal relationships and related knowledge. The findings from the study yielded the following three core needs: namely a need for survival; a need for relationships; and a need for growth and development. Therefore, under the direction of the leaders’ and executive management, the provision of prompt and relevant training for the prevention and control of Covid-19 would help reduce psychological panic and insecurity caused by inadequate knowledge.