The data in this paper comes from survey two of a serial qualitative study, designed to describe and learn from the experiences of wound care clinicians working to meet the needs of patients amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper highlights results from data gathered during the second of five surveys emailed to clinicians in September 2020. Three themes emerged from the responses to the second survey:
- Clinician perspectives: working conditions and work–life balance
- Location-specific policies and their impacts within hospitals, long-term care facilities, and community home care
- Technology as an asset and/or barrier.
The results from the first survey were published in 2021 (Kuhnke et al, 2021). Findings from the first survey allowed us to appreciate some of the complexities of the coronavirus pandemic, including far-reaching influences on healthcare professionals’ efforts to deliver skin and wound care services to patients. In survey two, we also began to understand how the pandemic was influencing home lives and work–life balance. This article provides an overview of the impact of this dynamic reality on the ability of healthcare professionals to deliver care to patients, as well as the consequences on psychological health, professional confidence, educational development, and importantly, work–life balance.
