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Research Proposal: Maintaining Psychological Well being of Healthcare Workers during

the Covid19 pandemic

Samuel Ferreira Targino

Mount Royal University
HRES 2170: Introduction to Human Resources
Submitted to: Eric Myers
October 4th 2023
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Research Proposal: Maintaining Psychological Well being of Healthcare Workers during

the Covid19 pandemic

For my research paper I have chosen to study the topic “Maintaining Psychological Well
being of Healthcare Workers during the Covid19 pandemic”. I am curious to know what impact
the Covid19 pandemic had on the psychological wellbeing of healthcare workers. Specifically, I
intend to understand exactly which aspects of working through the pandemic were risk factors
for poor psychological well being, which healthcare role was most impacted (if clinical front-line,
other clinical areas or administration) and which strategies were successful in reducing negative
outcomes in the psychological wellbeing of healthcare workers.

Research Question

How impactful was the Covid19 pandemic on healthcare workers’ mental health? And
what did that impact look like?
Outline
Introduction:
● The direct impact of Covid19 on healthcare workers’ mental health- looking back at the
statistics
● The Impact: Stress, Depression, Anxiety (Della Monica et al., 2022)
Role as a Risk Factor (Della Monica et al., 2022)
● Front-line staff
● Other clinical staff
● Non-clinical staff
● Demographics
Workplace environment as a Risk Factor
● Fear of infection
● Increased Workload
● Lack of Support
● Lack of Safety
○ Use of PPE is a risk factor for anxiety and depression in front-line healthcare
workers (Swaminathan et al., 2020)
● Lack of Communication
● Death
● Social Isolation
Protective Factors
● Safety and Communication Guidelines
● Proper Equipment
● Proper Emotional and Psychological Support
Conclusion
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References

Della Monica, A., Ferrara, P., Dal Mas, F., Cobianchi, L., Scannapieco, F., & Ruta, F. (2022).
The impact of Covid-19 healthcare emergency on the psychological well-being of health
professionals: a review of literature. Annali Di Igiene : Medicina Preventiva e Di
Comunita, 34(1), 27–44. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.7416/ai.2021.2445

Swaminathan, R., Mukundadura, B. P., & Prasad, S. (2020). Impact of enhanced personal
protective equipment on the physical and mental well-being of healthcare workers during
COVID-19. Postgraduate Medical Journal, 98(1157), 231–233.
https://doi.org/10.1136/postgradmedj-2020-139150