3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions

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    Narratives on the frontline: a qualitative investigation of the lived experiences of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    (2022) Kazadi, Angela Denyimi Nyembue
    Background: During the Coronavirus pandemic, a mental health pandemic emerged, with frontline healthcare workers’ arguably being the most affected. In South Africa, however, the sociohistorical background must be considered, as this virus poses a new threat to a country that has suffered a series of collective traumas. Aim: This study explored the qualitative, lived experiences of frontline healthcare workers in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A lifeworld phenomenological framework was used in this study. Semi-structured interviews with 11 frontline healthcare workers were conducted as part of a broader study focused on the mental health of South African healthcare workers’ during COVID-19. The information gathered was analysed using the principles of reflexive thematic analysis. Results: This research showed that the lived experiences of frontline workers’ during the COVID-19 outbreak in South Africa are diverse and peppered with paradoxes. The findings revealed that working during COVID-19 is an emotional rollercoaster, that it is emotionally and mentally tiring, that there are concerns with the Department of Health and that COVID-19 has had a substantial influence on daily living. In addition, the data also demonstrate that the concept of a ‘front-line’ healthcare worker altered throughout the pandemic as a result of task shifting as healthcare personnel took on different responsibilities, moving them to the ‘frontline.’ Conclusion: This study adds to the body of knowledge about mental health and the working environment of health professionals during COVID-19. It also highlights the need to understand healthcare workers’ lived experience using qualitative methodologies, which has provided depth and new insights into the multiple realities of healthcare workers on the frontline
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