Maintaining operability at a high personal cost – a mixed method study on maternal healthcare workers’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic
Abstract Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic forced leaders and employees in health care services to take difficult decisions to manage risks associated with employee health and the organizations’ functioning. This study aims to identify the changes in employee working routines, job demands, and job...
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BMC
2025-01-01
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| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12337-0 |
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| author | Magnus Akerstrom Anna Wessberg Emina Hadžibajramović Sofie Graner Ylva Carlsson Ola Andersson Maria Jonsson Elin Naurin Malin Veje Verena Sengpiel Karolina Linden |
| author_facet | Magnus Akerstrom Anna Wessberg Emina Hadžibajramović Sofie Graner Ylva Carlsson Ola Andersson Maria Jonsson Elin Naurin Malin Veje Verena Sengpiel Karolina Linden |
| author_sort | Magnus Akerstrom |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic forced leaders and employees in health care services to take difficult decisions to manage risks associated with employee health and the organizations’ functioning. This study aims to identify the changes in employee working routines, job demands, and job resources within Swedish maternal healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how these changes affected workload and health. Methods Data were derived from the longitudinal COPE Staff study involving midwives and physicians within maternal healthcare. Three focus group discussions with midwives and physicians (n = 13), and open-ended survey responses (n = 604) during the third wave of the pandemic (January to May 2021) were analyzed using deductive content analysis based on the Job Demands-Resources model. Quantitative measures of workload and burnout from three survey waves, both during the pandemic (January to May 2021 [n = 782] and January to March 2022 [n = 503]) and after the pandemic (February to March 2023 [n = 759]), were analyzed. Results Multiple changes in working routines were implemented to adhere to national and local guidelines aiming to decrease the spread of Sars-CoV-2. As a result, midwives and physicians experienced increased job demands, including an increased workload and higher emotional and cognitive demands. To balance these demands, new working routines were introduced, and managers increased their efforts to communicate and support the employees. Collegial support also grew. When surveyed, however, most of the maternal healthcare workers said they experienced a high workload. It was found that between 3–7% likely experienced burn out, while another 10% were at risk of burnout during and after the pandemic. Conclusions The pandemic had a large effect on maternal healthcare employees. Strategies and adaptations on an organizational, managerial, and individual level played an important role in modifying the impact on the organization’s operations and employees. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fc985a6a9d7849e2bd5b7c325d6d2c10 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-fc985a6a9d7849e2bd5b7c325d6d2c102025-02-02T12:14:02ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632025-01-0125111210.1186/s12913-025-12337-0Maintaining operability at a high personal cost – a mixed method study on maternal healthcare workers’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemicMagnus Akerstrom0Anna Wessberg1Emina Hadžibajramović2Sofie Graner3Ylva Carlsson4Ola Andersson5Maria Jonsson6Elin Naurin7Malin Veje8Verena Sengpiel9Karolina Linden10Region Västra Götaland, Institute of Stress MedicineInstitute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of GothenburgRegion Västra Götaland, Institute of Stress MedicineDepartment of Medicine, Center for Pharmacoepidemiology, Karolinska InstituteDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University HospitalDepartment of Clinical Sciences Lund, Paediatrics, Lund UniversityDepartment of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala UniversityDepartment of Political Science, University of GothenburgDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University HospitalDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University HospitalInstitute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of GothenburgAbstract Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic forced leaders and employees in health care services to take difficult decisions to manage risks associated with employee health and the organizations’ functioning. This study aims to identify the changes in employee working routines, job demands, and job resources within Swedish maternal healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how these changes affected workload and health. Methods Data were derived from the longitudinal COPE Staff study involving midwives and physicians within maternal healthcare. Three focus group discussions with midwives and physicians (n = 13), and open-ended survey responses (n = 604) during the third wave of the pandemic (January to May 2021) were analyzed using deductive content analysis based on the Job Demands-Resources model. Quantitative measures of workload and burnout from three survey waves, both during the pandemic (January to May 2021 [n = 782] and January to March 2022 [n = 503]) and after the pandemic (February to March 2023 [n = 759]), were analyzed. Results Multiple changes in working routines were implemented to adhere to national and local guidelines aiming to decrease the spread of Sars-CoV-2. As a result, midwives and physicians experienced increased job demands, including an increased workload and higher emotional and cognitive demands. To balance these demands, new working routines were introduced, and managers increased their efforts to communicate and support the employees. Collegial support also grew. When surveyed, however, most of the maternal healthcare workers said they experienced a high workload. It was found that between 3–7% likely experienced burn out, while another 10% were at risk of burnout during and after the pandemic. Conclusions The pandemic had a large effect on maternal healthcare employees. Strategies and adaptations on an organizational, managerial, and individual level played an important role in modifying the impact on the organization’s operations and employees.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12337-0Maternal healthcare workersCOVID-19Work environmentCrisis managementJob demand resource model (JDR)Pandemic |
| spellingShingle | Magnus Akerstrom Anna Wessberg Emina Hadžibajramović Sofie Graner Ylva Carlsson Ola Andersson Maria Jonsson Elin Naurin Malin Veje Verena Sengpiel Karolina Linden Maintaining operability at a high personal cost – a mixed method study on maternal healthcare workers’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic BMC Health Services Research Maternal healthcare workers COVID-19 Work environment Crisis management Job demand resource model (JDR) Pandemic |
| title | Maintaining operability at a high personal cost – a mixed method study on maternal healthcare workers’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | Maintaining operability at a high personal cost – a mixed method study on maternal healthcare workers’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Maintaining operability at a high personal cost – a mixed method study on maternal healthcare workers’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Maintaining operability at a high personal cost – a mixed method study on maternal healthcare workers’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | Maintaining operability at a high personal cost – a mixed method study on maternal healthcare workers’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | maintaining operability at a high personal cost a mixed method study on maternal healthcare workers experiences during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | Maternal healthcare workers COVID-19 Work environment Crisis management Job demand resource model (JDR) Pandemic |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12337-0 |
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