Skip to main content

Table 5 Side-by-side comparison of quantitative and qualitative data on missed psychosocial care

From: Fundamental nursing care in patients with the SARS-CoV-2 virus: results from the ‘COVID-NURSE’ mixed methods survey into nurses’ experiences of missed care and barriers to care

Care category (% rating care as worse)

Summary of qualitative data on missed care

Quotes demonstrating qualitative data

Emotional wellbeing, anxiety and depression (53%)

Respondents noted that patients’ physical care was prioritised over their emotional needs. Staff were unable to provide normal levels of support e.g. skin to skin touch; time for communication and listening. Patients experienced isolation; and little interaction with staff, significant others, or other patients. Respondents observed fear and low mood across patients, and were unable to reassure patients with knowledge about the virus/ treatments. Respondents also noted a lack of presence/support from psychological services.

“Some days it was just task orientated and we just needed to get to the end of the shift without anyone dying.” (ID593)

“We weren’t able to even give a patient a hand to hold that didn’t have a glove on it and a face covered in a mask.” (ID354)

“Unable to refer patients to psychology for support or to have relatives to visit or for patients to go outside.” (ID196)

Dignity and respect (26%)

Some respondents reported experiencing difficulties maintaining privacy and dignity for patients, such as closing curtains when performing personal care. Patients who would normally use the bathroom had to use the commode, and patients had to wear hospital gowns rather than their own clothes. Proning patients was also considered undignified, and some respondents experienced patients dying in bays with no privacy.

“A lack of space, and having often 2 patients in one bedspace meant that privacy was difficult. We had access to some privacy screens, but nowhere near enough.” (ID377)

“Proning can be undignified due to the nature of the positioning and amount of people it requires to undertake.” (ID585)

“Patients dying next to them was very distressing.” (ID298)

Respecting patients’ values and beliefs (19%)

Some respondents noted a lack of knowledge of patients’ beliefs as patients were unable to inform them and/or significant others were not present to guide them. Respondents experienced a lack of chaplaincy support on the wards. Patients were also unable to leave their rooms to visit the prayer room/ chapel, and could not access family/community support as they normally would.

“We didn’t have chaplaincy visiting. We weren’t able to spend time with our dying patients in the same way. We didn’t always know the patient’s spiritual or religious beliefs. We often didn’t know much at all about them.” (ID354)

“Patients from certain cultures were unable to behave in the usual way due to restrictions.” (ID487)