Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the perceptions of frontline Healthcare Workers (HCWs) towards managing COVID-19 in Tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. METHOD: This qualitative exploratory study was conducted from January to May 2021 at a Tertiary care hospital designated for COVID-19 patients in Rawalpindi Pakistan. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted from twenty six HCWs. To acquire a sample that was diverse in terms of professional capacity, degree of experience and exposure, purposive sampling technique was used. After thematic analysis, themes were generated by identifying patterns among codes. RESULTS: Five themes emerged. All HCWs experienced significant amount of negative emotions including fear, uncertainty, imposing social distancing and workload. There were also positive experiences such as rewarding, call of duty and professional growth. HCWs experiences related to personal protective equipment (PPE) were communication issues, physical and dermatological issues, reuse and working confidently while wearing PPE. HCWs were buoyed by cooperation and facilitation, trainings and health education from administration. Coping mechanisms were used such as seeking team support, adjusting cognition to deal with reality and resorting to religion. CONCLUSION: Negative emotions predominated in the beginning and positive emotions emerged gradually. PPE and administrative support played significant role. HCWs' mental health was maintained in part by their self-coping styles. The findings of this study can be employed to inform and enhance future pandemic response initiatives.