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BMJ Open: first published as 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061413 on 14 October 2022. Downloaded from http://bmjopen.bmj.com/ on October 27, 2022 at International Islamic University
Learning from healthcare workers’
experiences with personal protective
equipment during the COVID-19
pandemic in Aotearoa/New Zealand: a
thematic analysis and framework for
future practice
Cervantée E K Wild ,1,2 Hailey Wells,1 Nicolene Coetzee,1
Cameron C Grant ,1,3 Trudy A Sullivan ,4 José G B Derraik ,1
Yvonne C Anderson 1
BMJ Open: first published as 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061413 on 14 October 2022. Downloaded from http://bmjopen.bmj.com/ on October 27, 2022 at International Islamic University
undertaken by the Office of the Auditor- G eneral not formally validated. The survey was undertaken in
(OAG) into the way PPE was managed in NZ during October–November 2020. Recruitment was multimodal,
the initial outbreak (surge 1: from 28 February 2020 involving distribution through professional and repre-
to 8 June 2020 7). Poor pandemic planning, misman- sentative organisation mailing lists, social and collegial
agement of PPE distribution and poor communica- networks, study advertisements on university and organ-
tion exacerbated existing complexity issues in the NZ isational websites, and word of mouth to maximise reach
health system. 8 PPE procurement in NZ has previously and potential response.17
been the domain of the 20 individual district health In the survey, respondents were asked about their expe-
boards (DHBs); however, the Ministry of Health has rience of PPE use and their demographic characteristics
essentially centralised PPE supply following the OAG including age, gender, occupation, region and place of
report. work. Survey questions included closed and open- text
Healthcare workers’ safety and welfare were high- questions (extension, expansion and general open-text
lighted in media headlines in the early stages of the questions)16 about respondents’ experiences. PPE was
COVID-19 pandemic. 9 10 In NZ, a cross- s ectional described as equipment ‘worn by a person to minimise
survey of psychological outcomes and sources of risks to health and safety. PPE includes masks, eye protec-
stress in essential workers during the first COVID-1 9 tion, gloves, gowns, and in the event of aerosol-generating
surge found that healthcare workers were up to 71% procedures, N95- type filtering face-piece respirators
more likely to experience moderate levels of anxiety (FFRs)’. Ethnicity data were collected according to NZ
compared with other essential workers.11 Addition- Ministry of Health Ethnicity Data protocols, with partici-
ally, interview-b ased studies of healthcare workers in pants able to select multiple ethnicities.18 The survey was
the UK, 12 and nurses in the USA, 13 have described constructed using Qualtrics software (Qualtrics, Provo,
anger, betrayal and feelings of being dispensable as Utah, USA) and beta-tested. All respondents provided
they dealt with limited PPE supply while caring for informed consent electronically, as otherwise they were
patients. In NZ, the pandemic occurred at a time unable to proceed to the survey.
BMJ Open: first published as 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061413 on 14 October 2022. Downloaded from http://bmjopen.bmj.com/ on October 27, 2022 at International Islamic University
Table 1 Participant demographics*
Transparency: ‘Just be honest, upfront and consistent.” (#782
– midwife, female, NZ European)
Survey participants, n 1411
Open and clear communication and honesty around
Gender, n (%) decision-making are critical for fostering a team culture
Female 1140 (81.6) within healthcare organisations. For most respondents,
Ethnicity, n (%)† honesty about stock levels and plans to manage potential
shortages was preferable to unfounded reassurances:
Māori 102 (7.6)
NZ European 995 (73.9) Instead of a manager running around removing your
Asian 190 (14.1)
PPE and locking it away, it would have been better to
explain why there was a necessity to ration it out. #728
Other 60 (4.5)
(Laboratory technician, female, NZ European)
Age, n (%)
Communicate, and just not the decisions but the
<35 years 366 (25.9) rationale that led to the decisions. #1161 (Nurse, fe-
35–44 years 299 (21.2) male, NZ European)
45–54 years 346 (24.5) However, a small portion of participants disagreed,
>55 years 400 (28.3) reporting that communication of stock level information
Profession, n (%) would create anxiety and that staff should trust that they
Medical 269 (19.1) had enough to keep them safe:
Nursing 468 (33.2) I trust there will be enough. Best avoid creating
Dental 86 (6.1) anxiety. #1570 (General practitioner, female, NZ
Allied health 486 (34.4) European)
Other health 102 (7.2) Nevertheless, transparency was considered essential to
BMJ Open: first published as 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061413 on 14 October 2022. Downloaded from http://bmjopen.bmj.com/ on October 27, 2022 at International Islamic University
a need-to-know basis. Management were [sic] inten- was vague and thinly veiled threats, we were getting
tionally withholding information or being economic low. #1309 (Nurse, female, Māori)
with the truth, yet expecting us to be dealing with the
In this way, PPE was perceived as a mark of healthcare
risks despite not being fully informed. I think they
worker value for many respondents.
were afraid of a mass revolt. #355 (Nurse, female, NZ
European) I don’t understand how the lack of occupational
health for ALL users has just been swept under the
For respondents who reported positively on their carpet - they lied, got away with it and now there will
employers’ handling of PPE shortages, transparency also be no further discussion. I'm also frustrated that from
appeared to build trust and respect for management: the beginning they kept telling us we didn't need el-
ements of PPE when we felt we did, zero consider-
Personally, I think my employer handled the crisis
ation of staff mental health - that feeling protected is
and demand for PPE very well. We were all in unchart-
incredibly important for mental health - and it turns
ed territory and my employer kept us informed every
out we were in fact correct. #175 (Consultant doctor,
step of the way. #911 (Nurse, male, NZ European)
female, NZ European)
Overall General Practice felt a lot safer with more
quick (sic) uptake of PPE and no managerial obstruc- These notions of trust appeared repeatedly throughout
tion to its use plus manager took responsibility for the survey data, in terms of both healthcare workers’
ordering and making sure we also had PPE available. experiences within their own organisations and, by exten-
We initially had low stock supplies but this was quick- sion, their trust in the government. This was closely inter-
ly addressed. #1121 (General practitioner, female, twined with ideas about respect and safety, as evidenced
Māori) in this respondent’s final comment:
Final point, the frontline does not trust the DHB or
Overall, transparency was considered to be ‘[…] a crit-
the Government to keep them safe. #1055 (Infection
Reported incidents suggested that many healthcare Fit testing of filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) was
workers felt that management did not trust them to use highlighted by respondents as a key health and safety
PPE appropriately, with gatekeeping leading healthcare issue and essential for planning for a PPE supply that was
workers feeling like they were not allowed PPE or that appropriate for healthcare workers:
they did not deserve it.
If DHBs don't actually know what their supply re-
We were told in isolation rooms (not covid, like di- quirements are due to lack of fit testing all staff on
arrhoea and vomiting etc.) to go easy on the supply. each mask that may be used, then it will be impossi-
Like we were wasting it in contagious gastro rooms. ble for the MOH (Ministry of Health) to plan. #2012
We seemed to be targeted a lot as people to blame. (Consultant doctor, female, NZ European)
It was our fault the sanitizer went missing. Our fault
supplies were so low. Like we were overusing it. Stock The apparent lack of safety made respondents feel
became harder to get for isolation rooms not on the expendable, dispensable and, in some cases, shamed for
asking for PPE:
covid ward. It was only after they accused us of steal-
ing and misuse, I finally took a single spare surgical Full PPE should be provided to the front-line health-
mask for my "emergency" work backpack with my own care workers. We put ourselves and our family at risk
spare scrubs and own sanitizer, because everything when working for the public during pandemic. Being
BMJ Open: first published as 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061413 on 14 October 2022. Downloaded from http://bmjopen.bmj.com/ on October 27, 2022 at International Islamic University
told off by your manager for wearing PPE is totally At times feel so tired and burnt out, I have contem-
unacceptable. #1206 (Nurse, female, Asian) plated quitting job and looking for another job with
less hours. #1848 (General practitioner, female,
Feeling unsafe was apparent across disciplines, which
Pacific Islander)
contributed to a sense of exclusion among some health-
care professionals who had difficulties accessing PPE, Divisions between clinical and management roles were
with some indication of differences between primary or stark, and relationships tended to be worsened by poor
community care, and secondary care: communication and ‘gas lighting’. Some comments
suggested that this might have been partially mitigated
Midwives and other community workers were beg- with more clinical representation on decision-making
ging for PPE, including gloves. We ran out the first teams:
week, bought my own, then had enough. Were told
surgical mask was enough, when we knew it wasn’t, Respectful engagement rather than imperious rear-
and were told not to use a mask unless suspect, but guard autocracy. #2035 (consultant doctor, male, NZ
saw workers overseas catching it from ’non-covid’ pa- European)
tients. #1157 (Nurse, female, NZ European) Our management seemed to think we were a joke
General Practice did not have clear, consistent com- with worrying about it, they never practiced safe prac-
munication from our PHO regarding PPE supply, de- tice at all and held meetings when not necessary, we
lays in delivery and pressures on stock. We also had work in a dental scene and never got given the cor-
difficulty accessing hand sanitiser and waste collec- rect mask, our gowns were also given away to hospi-
tion for safe donning/doffing. This is despite being a tal staff and we were given uncomfortable ones. #683
testing clinic and seeing high numbers of symptom- (Dental hygienist, female, Māori)
atic patients. We do not feel recognised or appreci- There was also a perception of devaluing of health-
ated for the huge workload, financial pressures and care workers compared with non- healthcare workers.
clinical risk which has been placed on those General
BMJ Open: first published as 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061413 on 14 October 2022. Downloaded from http://bmjopen.bmj.com/ on October 27, 2022 at International Islamic University
of transparency in decision-
making, this resulted in a
within organisations.
spread sense of disrespect and gaslighting that threat-
ened healthcare worker safety at a critical time and
suggest that the way PPE was managed was suboptimal on
the part of some organisations. Our qualitative findings
provide greater context for healthcare workers’ experi-
ences with PPE during the pandemic, with presence or
lack thereof of four key values (transparency, trust, safety
and respect) underpinning their experiences. The open-
text comments throughout the survey demonstrated the
subsequently challenged until they were shown our rationale. This was despite many repeated attempts
to staff concerns and there was poor communication to frontline staff. The members of the IMT lacked
‘Why is it that supermarket workers had access to PPE, and were allowed to wear PPE during the first
was kept under lock and key? Sure, the(organisation*) was going by MoH (Ministry of Health) / WHO
wave, and we (frontline health workers) weren't? Why did hairdressers get access to PPE when ours
(World Health Organization) “guidelines”, but why do other professions care more about their staff
BMJ Open: first published as 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061413 on 14 October 2022. Downloaded from http://bmjopen.bmj.com/ on October 27, 2022 at International Islamic University
should have access to PPE and in what circumstances’ the reasonably low numbers of Māori participants that
and concern from healthcare workers that current guide- may have affected interpretation of our results. The
lines were insufficient for preventing transmission among transferability of the findings to countries who under-
them.8 Our survey supports this finding and demon- took different strategies in their response to COVID-19
strates there was concern from some respondents for is uncertain; however, we contend that these four values
whom certain types of PPE were deemed unnecessary, would be relevant to healthcare contexts worldwide.
and further in-depth exploration of the differences in In conclusion, this survey shows that trust, respect,
experiences between primary and secondary care may transparency and safety are key factors to consider when
be warranted. Additionally, it was clear that the vagaries working with healthcare workers around PPE supply and
as to which professions and areas of care are supplied usage and indeed more broadly with respect to health
from central MOH and/or regional DHB stocks, coupled system issues in general. Experiences of PPE use could
with the perceived disparities between different profes- be described as ‘the canary in the coalmine’ of current
sions, added to distress levels. The Ministry of Health has health system challenges and provide opportune insights
updated its communications regarding this to improve into supporting the healthcare workforce moving forward
clarity.26 through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. It is crit-
Our survey shows that debates around who ‘requires’ ical that a commitment to genuine partnership between
PPE can easily become who ‘deserves’ PPE, which does managers and clinicians is made, in order to achieve a
not foster goodwill among healthcare workers and supportive workplace environment, and to enable the
different professional groups within health. This reflects delivery of high-quality healthcare.
what has been found in the UK among healthcare workers
outside of secondary care settings who felt inadequately Author affiliations
1
protected.12 For many respondents, it appeared that PPE Department of Paediatrics: Child and Youth Health, Faculty of Medical and Health
Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
access—and subsequently, perceived safety—had become 2
Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford,
a symbol of the value and worth placed on healthcare UK
BMJ Open: first published as 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061413 on 14 October 2022. Downloaded from http://bmjopen.bmj.com/ on October 27, 2022 at International Islamic University
Supplemental material This content has been supplied by the author(s). It has 10 Radio New Zealand. Covid-19: government PPE management to be
not been vetted by BMJ Publishing Group Limited (BMJ) and may not have been reviewed by Auditor-Genera. 21, 2020. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/
peer-reviewed. Any opinions or recommendations discussed are solely those political/414761/covid-19-government-ppe-management-to-be-
of the author(s) and are not endorsed by BMJ. BMJ disclaims all liability and reviewed-by-auditor-general
11 Bell C, Williman J, Beaglehole B, et al. Challenges facing essential
responsibility arising from any reliance placed on the content. Where the content
workers: a cross-sectional survey of the subjective mental
includes any translated material, BMJ does not warrant the accuracy and reliability health and well-being of New Zealand healthcare and 'other'
of the translations (including but not limited to local regulations, clinical guidelines, essential workers during the COVID-19 lockdown. BMJ Open
terminology, drug names and drug dosages), and is not responsible for any error 2021;11:e048107.
and/or omissions arising from translation and adaptation or otherwise. 12 Hoernke K, Djellouli N, Andrews L, et al. Frontline healthcare
workers' experiences with personal protective equipment during the
Open access This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the
COVID-19 pandemic in the UK: a rapid qualitative appraisal. BMJ
Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which Open 2021;11:e046199.
permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, 13 Iheduru-Anderson K. Reflections on the lived experience of working
and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is with limited personal protective equipment during the COVID-19
properly cited, appropriate credit is given, any changes made indicated, and the use crisis. Nurs Inq 2021;28:e12382.
is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. 14 Health, Review DS. Health and disability system review – final report.
Wellington (NZ): Pūrongo Whakamutunga, 2019.
Author note Until July 2022, District Health Boards were responsible for providing 15 Braun V, Clarke V, Boulton E. The online survey as a qualitative
or funding the provision of health services in their district in New Zealand. This research tool. Int J Soc Res Methodol 2020:1–14.
responsibility has since been taken over by Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) and 16 O'Cathain A, Thomas KJ. "Any other comments?" open questions
Te Aka Whai Ora (the Māori Health Authority). on questionnaires - a bane or a bonus to research? BMC Med Res
Methodol 2004;4:25.
ORCID iDs 17 McRobert CJ, Hill JC, Smale T, et al. A multi-modal recruitment
Cervantée E K Wild http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5377-6222 strategy using social media and internet-mediated methods to recruit
Cameron C Grant http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4032-7230 a multidisciplinary, International sample of clinicians to an online
Trudy A Sullivan http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8452-2591 research study. PLoS One 2018;13:e0200184.
18 Ministry of Health. HISO 10001:2017 ethnicity data protocols.
José G B Derraik http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1226-1956
Wellington (NZ): Ministry of Health, 2017.
Yvonne C Anderson http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2054-338X 19 Braun V, Clarke V. Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis. Qual Res
Sport Exerc Health 2019;11:589–97.
20 McDougall RJ, Gillam L, Ko D. Balancing health worker well-being
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