[Experiences of frontline caregivers in the midst of a health crisis : a participatory study in the Liege region].

Abstract

The aim of this two-stage research was to document the stressors and resources experienced by front-line professional groups at the heart of the health crisis due to COVID-19, as well as to bring out of a multidisciplinary reflection, a series of priority proposals for strengthening the care system. Our results highlighted great interprofessional similarities in terms of negative and positive experiences (e.g., feeling of powerlessness, support among colleagues), as well as professional specificities (e.g., the painful feeling of being «alone at the front» among nurses). Although the stress, fatigue and/or lassitude factors cited by the participants were more numerous than the protective factors, several participants experienced an opportunity for personal and professional development. Overall, this research found that all front-line professionals have a role to play in improving and building resilience in the system, and that this role could be most effective if played in a context of increased multidisciplinary coordination and communication.