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The outbreak of the COVID‐19 pandemic in late 2019 and in 2020 presented challenges to healthcare workers (HCW) around the world that were unexpected and dramatic. The relentless progress of infection, starting in China and rapidly spreading to Europe, North America and elsewhere gave more remote countries, like Australia, time to prepare but also time for unease. HCW everywhere had to readjust and change their work practices to cope. Further waves of infection and transmission with newer variants pose challenges to HCW and health systems, even after mass vaccination. Respiratory medicine HCW found themselves at the frontline, developing critical care services to support intensive care units and grappling with unanticipated concerns about safety, risk and the need to retrain. Several studies have addressed the need for rapid changes in the healthcare workforce for COVID‐19 and the impact of this preparation on HCW themselves. In this paper, we present a scoping review of the literature on preparing HCW for the pandemic, explore the Australian experience of building the respiratory workforce and propose evidence‐based recommendations to sustain this workforce in an unprecedented high‐risk environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Junior doctors experience high levels of psychological distress and emotional exhaustion. The current Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic has resulted in significant changes to healthcare globally, with quantitative studies demonstrating increased fatigue, depression and burnout in junior doctors. However, there has been limited qualitative research to examine junior doctors' experiences, challenges and beliefs regarding management of future crises. Aims: To investigate the workplace and psychosocial experiences of Australian junior doctors working during the second wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods: Australian healthcare workers were invited to participate in a nationwide, voluntary, anonymous, single time point, online survey between 27 August and 23 October 2020. A qualitative descriptive study of responses to four free‐text questions from 621 junior doctors was undertaken, with responses analysed using inductive content analysis. Results: Participants were predominantly female (73.2%), aged 31–40 years (48.0%) and most frequently reported working in medical specialties (48.4%), emergency medicine (21.7%) or intensive care medicine (11.4%). Most (51.9%) participants had 0–5 years of clinical experience since medical graduation. Junior doctors described experiences related to four key themes: a hierarchical, difficult workplace culture; challenging working conditions; disrupted training and career trajectories; and broader psychosocial impacts. The COVID‐19 pandemic exacerbated longstanding, workplace issues and stressors for junior doctors and highlighted the threat that crises pose to medical workforce retention. There is an urgent need for authentic, positive workplace cultural interventions to engage, validate and empower junior doctors. Conclusions: Challenging workplace cultures and conditions, which have worsened during the COVID‐19 pandemic, are associated with poor psychological well‐being in junior doctors. There exists a need for long‐term, widespread improvements in workplace culture and working conditions to ensure junior doctors' well‐being, facilitate workforce retention and enhance the safety and quality of patient care in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID‐19 pandemic meant rapid changes to Australian maternity services. All maternity services have undertaken significant changes in relation to policies, service delivery and practices and increased use of personal protective equipment. Aims: The aim of this study was to explore and describe doctors' experiences of providing maternity care during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Australia. Methods: A national online survey followed by semi‐structured interviews with a cohort of participants was conducted during the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic in Australia (May–June 2020). Participants were recruited through social media networks. Eighty‐six doctors completed the survey, and eight were interviewed. Results: Almost all doctors reported rapid development of new guidelines and major changes to health service delivery. Professional colleges were the main source of new information about COVID‐19. Most (89%) doctors felt sufficiently informed to care for women with COVID‐19. Less than half of doctors felt changes would be temporary. Doctors described workforce disruptions with associated personal and professional impacts. The ability to access and process up‐to‐date, evidence‐based information was perceived as important. Doctors acknowledged that altered models of care had increased pregnant women's anxiety and uncertainty. All doctors described silver linings from sector changes. Conclusions: This study provides unique insights into doctors' experiences of providing maternity care during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Australia. Findings have immediate relevance to the maternity sector now and into the future. Lessons learnt provide an opportunity to reshape the maternity sector to better prepare for future public health crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To examine the relationship between workplace violence perpetrated by clients, their innate neurophysiological response to dis‐ease and the resulting interactions with healthcare providers. Background: Client‐on‐worker violence remains a problem globally. Workplace violence risk factors have been documented. A gap remains in understanding what has happened to clients that perpetrate violence, and the link between adverse childhood experiences (ACE), the neuroscience of threat and trauma‐informed care. Design: This explanatory study was part of a larger descriptive study. Methods: Managers, directors, health/safety staff, nurses and educators (n = 99) from Australian rural and metropolitan health services participated in individual and group interviews. Following inductive thematic analysis, a secondary analysis, informed by understandings of ACE, polyvagal theory and trauma‐informed care, was conducted. Analysis was guided by the question: What happens to clients that causes them to instigate violence against healthcare workers? Reporting of this research adheres to the COREQ guidelines. Results: Clients can react aggressively when under perceived threat. Themes included are as follows: client stress and trauma, previous client trauma, impact of care provision on client and trauma‐informed care. Conclusion: Healthcare services can be experienced as stressful environments. Coupled with high incidences of past trauma, clients' assessment of risk and safety can be compromised resulting in inappropriate reactivity when staff are trying to provide care. Care provision can be perceived as a threat to clients' physical and psychological safety, activating the fight protective response resulting in aggression. Understanding and applying neuroscience and implementing a cultural change of trauma‐informed care have the potential to reduce workplace violence. Even with these understandings, it is imperative that healthcare staff are protected and feel safe at work. Relevance to clinical practice: Understanding trauma and the neuroscience of threat and safety can assist staff to understand what happens to clients that causes them to instigate violence against healthcare providers and implement systems and strategies to respond to such threat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Annual influenza vaccination of healthcare workers (HCWs) is recommended in Australia, but uptake in healthcare facilities has historically been low (approximately 50%). The objective of this study was to develop and implement a dedicated campaign to improve uptake of staff influenza annual vaccination at a large Australian health service. Methods: A quality improvement program was developed at Alfred Health, a tertiary metropolitan health service spanning 3 campuses. Pre-campaign evaluation was performed by questionnaire in 2013 to plan a multimodal vaccination strategy. Reasons for and against vaccination were captured. A campaign targeting clinical and non-clinical healthcare workers was then implemented between March 31 and July 31 2014. Proportional uptake of influenza vaccination was determined by campus and staff category. Results: Pre-campaign questionnaire responses were received from 1328/6879 HCWs (response rate 20.4%), of which 76% were vaccinated. Common beliefs held by unvaccinated staff included vaccine ineffectiveness (37.1%), that vaccination makes staff unwell (21.0%), or that vaccination is not required because staff are at low risk for acquiring influenza (20.2%). In 2014, 6009/7480 (80.3%) staff were vaccinated, with significant improvement in uptake across all campuses and amongst nursing, medical and allied health staff categories from 2013 to 2014 (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: A non-mandatory multimodal strategy utilising social marketing and a customised staff database was successful in increasing influenza vaccination uptake by all staff categories. The sustainability of dedicated campaigns must be evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Current procedures for effective personal protective equipment (PPE) usage rely on the availability of trained observers or 'buddies' who, during the COVID-19 pandemic, are not always available. The application of artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to overcome this limitation by assisting in complex task analysis. To date, AI use for PPE protocols has not been studied. In this paper we validate the performance of an AI PPE system in a hospital setting., Methods: A clinical cohort study of 74 healthcare workers (HCW) at a 144-bed University teaching hospital. Participants were recruited to use the AI system for PPE donning and doffing. Performance was validated by the current gold standard double-buddy system across seven donning and ten doffing steps based on local infection control guidelines., Results: The AI-PPE platform was 98.9% sensitive on doffing and 85.3% sensitive on donning, when compared to remediated double buddy. On average, buddy correction of PPE was required 3.8 ± 1.5% of the time. The average time taken to don was 240 ± 51.5 seconds and doff was 241 ± 35.3 seconds., Conclusion: This study demonstrates the ability of an AI model to analyse PPE donning and doffing with real-time feedback for remediation. The AI platform can identify complex multi-task PPE donning and doffing in a single validated system. This AI system can be employed to train, audit, and thereby improve compliance whilst reducing reliance on limited HCW resources. Further studies may permit the development of this educational tool into a medical device with other industry uses for safety., (© Commonwealth of Australia CC BY-NC-ND.)

Background: In Australia, whether to provide free influenza vaccine to health care workers (HCWs) is a policy decision for each hospital or jurisdiction, and is therefore not uniform across the country. This study explored hospital policies and practices regarding occupational influenza vaccination of HCWs in Australia. Methods: A study using qualitative methodology, which included semi-structured interviews, was undertaken with hospital staff involved with the delivery of occupational influenza vaccination from three states in Australia. Results: The 29 participants were responsible for vaccinating staff in 82 hospitals. Major themes in the responses were the lack of resources and the difficulties participants faced in procuring any additional support or funding from their institutions. All study sites provided vaccine free of charge to employees via on-site clinics or mobile carts, and used multiple strategies to inform and educate their staff. In some instances, declination forms had been adopted, however their use was associated with resourcing issues, animosity, and other problems. Participants who were responsible for multiple sites were more likely to recount lower vaccination coverage figures at their hospitals. Conclusions: From these interviews, it is clear that hospitals are implementing multiple strategies to educate, promote, and deliver the vaccine to staff. However, resources and support are not always available to assist with the vaccination campaign. The reality for many hospitals is that there is limited capacity to implement the vaccination campaigns at the levels high enough to raise compliance rates. Further research needs to be conducted to quantify the factors contributing to higher uptake in the Australian hospital setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Behavioural and social drivers (BeSD) of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine acceptance among Australian healthcare workers (HCW) living and working in regional areas are not well studied. Understanding local HCWs' COVID-19 risk perceptions and potential barriers to COVID-19 vaccine uptake is crucial in supporting rollout. We aimed to understand the COVID-19 vaccine drivers among HCW in Central Queensland (CQ), Australia., Method: A cross-sectional online survey of HCWs in CQ between 17 May and 31 May 2021, based on the BeSD framework adapted from the World Health Organization (WHO) Data for Action guidance, consisting of the five instrument domains: what people think and feel; social processes; motivations; practical issues; and vaccination uptake., Results: Of the 240 responding HCWs within Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service, 78% were female. Of the participating HCWs, 64% percent had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine; of those who had not yet received a vaccine, 53% said they were willing to receive one. Factors associated with vaccine acceptance included: belief that the vaccine was important for their health (81%; odds ratio (OR): 7.2; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.5-15.5); belief that their family and friends wanted them to have the vaccine (64%; OR: 6.7; 95% CI: 2.9-16.7); trust in the vaccine (72%; OR: 6.4; 95% CI: 3.5-12.0); and confidence in being able to answer patients' questions about the vaccine (99%)., Conclusions: These findings suggest that a combination of communications and educational material framed around the benefits and social norms of vaccination, along with materials addressing vaccine safety concerns, will encourage HCW to take up a COVID-19 vaccine., (© Commonwealth of Australia CC BY-NC-ND.)

Background: Non-compliance with infection control guidelines has been reported within healthcare settings. Infection control education in undergraduate healthcare education programs forms a critical component in preparing student healthcare workers for vocational roles., Methods: Clinical sciences students (nutrition science, paramedicine, pharmacy, podiatry, optometry studying for qualifications recognised by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) self-reported hygiene perceptions and practices and collected microbiological swabs from personal or medical equipment items before and after recommended disinfection procedures., Results: Cultivable microorganisms were isolated from 95% of student medical equipment items. Disinfection significantly reduced microbial growth on student medical equipment items (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: Student perceptions of infection control procedures do not always correlate with infection control practice. Infection control education of undergraduate healthcare students requires ongoing assessment to ensure successful translation into clinical practice., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

There are no publicly available national data on healthcare worker infections in Australia. It has been documented in many countries that healthcare workers (HCW) are at increased occupational risk of COVID-19. We aimed to estimate the burden of COVID-19 on Australia HCW and the health system by obtaining and organizing data on HCW infections, analyzing national HCW cases in regards to occupational risk and analyzing healthcare outbreak. We searched government reports and websites and media reports to create a comprehensive line listing of Australian HCW infections and nosocomial outbreaks between January 25th and July 8th, 2020. A line list of HCW related COVID-19 reported cases was created and enhanced by matching data extracted from media reports of healthcare related COVID-19 relevant outbreaks and reports, using matching criteria. Rates of infections and odds ratios (ORs) for HCW were calculated per state, by comparing overall cases to HCW cases. To investigate the sources of infection amongst HCW, transmission data were collated and graphed to show distribution of sources. We identified 36 hospital outbreaks or HCW infection reports between January 25th and July 8th, 2020. According to our estimates, at least 536 HCW in Australia had been infected with COVID-19, comprising 6.03% of all reported infections. The rate of HCW infection was 90/100000 and of community infection 34/100,000. HCW were 2.69 times more likely to contract COVID-19 (95% CI 2.48 to 2.93; P < 0.001). The timing of hospital outbreaks did not always correspond to community peaks. Where data were available, a total of 131 HCW across 21 outbreaks led to 1656 HCW being furloughed for quarantine. In one outbreak, one hospital was closed and 1200 HCW quarantined. The study shows that HCW were at nearly 3 times the risk of infection. Of concern, this nearly tripling of risk occurred during a period of low community prevalence suggesting failures at multiple hazard levels including PPE policies within the work environment. Even in a country with relatively good control of COVID-19, HCW are at greater risk of infection than the general community and nosocomial outbreaks can have substantial effects on workforce capacity by the quarantine of numerous HCW during an outbreak. The occurrence of hospital outbreaks even when community incidence was low highlights the high risk setting that hospitals present. Australia faced a resurgence of COVID-19 after the study period, with multiple hospital outbreaks. We recommend formal reporting of HCW infections, testing protocols for nosocomial outbreaks, cohorting of workforce to minimize the impact, and improved PPE guidelines to provide precautionary and optimal protection for HCW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sudden changes in clinical practice and the altered ability to care for patients due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been associated with moral distress and mental health concerns in healthcare workers internationally. This study aimed to investigate the severity, prevalence, and predictors of moral distress experienced by Australian healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: A nationwide, voluntary, anonymous, single time-point, online survey of self-identified frontline healthcare workers was conducted between 27th August and 23rd October 2020. Participants were recruited through health organisations, professional associations, or colleges, universities, government contacts, and national media., Results: 7846 complete responses were received from nurses (39.4%), doctors (31.1%), allied health staff (16.7%), or other roles (6.7%). Many participants reported moral distress related to resource scarcity (58.3%), wearing PPE (31.7%) limiting their ability to care for patients, exclusion of family going against their values (60.2%), and fear of letting co-workers down if they were infected (55.0%). Many personal and workplace predictors of moral distress were identified, with those working in certain frontline areas, metropolitan locations, and with prior mental health diagnoses at particular risk of distress. Moral distress was associated with increased risk of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and burnout. Conversely, feeling appreciated by the community protected against these risks in healthcare workers., Conclusions: Safeguarding healthcare workforces during crises is important for both patient safety and workforce longevity. Targeted interventions are required to prevent or minimise moral distress and associated mental health concerns in healthcare workers during COVID-19 and other crises.

Background: Epidemiological studies suggest that influenza vaccine effectiveness decreases with repeated administration. We examined antibody responses to influenza vaccination among healthcare workers (HCWs) by prior vaccination history and determined the incidence of influenza infection., Methods: HCWs were vaccinated with the 2016 Southern Hemisphere quadrivalent influenza vaccine. Serum samples were collected pre-vaccination, 21-28 days and 7 months post-vaccination. Influenza antibody titres were measured at each time-point using the haemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay. Immunogenicity was compared by prior vaccination history., Results: A total of 157 HCWs completed the study. The majority were frequently vaccinated, with only 5 reporting no prior vaccinations since 2011. Rises in titres for all vaccine strains among vaccine-naïve HCWs were significantly greater than rises observed for HCWs who received between 1 and 5 prior vaccinations (p < 0.001, respectively). Post-vaccination GMTs against influenza A but not B strains decreased as the number of prior vaccinations increased from 1 to 5. There was a significant decline in GMTs post-season for both B lineages. Sixty five (41%) HCWs reported at least one influenza-like illness episode, with 6 (4%) identified as influenza positive., Conclusions: Varying serological responses to influenza vaccination were observed among HCWs by prior vaccination history, with vaccine-naïve HCWs demonstrating greater post-vaccination responses against A(H3N2)., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To determine the proportion of healthcare workers (HCWs) in smaller Victorian public healthcare facilities with documented evidence of measles immunity., Methods: A cross-sectional survey, developed by the Victorian Healthcare Associated Surveillance System Coordinating Centre, was completed by all eligible facilities. HCWs were reported as having evidence or no evidence of measles immunity. Those without evidence of immunity were sub-classified as incomplete, declined or unknown status., Results: Seventy-five facilities reported measles immunity status of 17,522 employed HCWs. Of these, 11,751 (67.1%) had documented evidence of immunity. The proportion with evidence of immunity was lowest (45.6%) in facilities with ≤50 HCWs. The majority of HCWs without evidence of immunity (88.2%) had 'unknown' status. Declination or incomplete status comprised very low overall proportions (0.3% and 3.6%, respectively)., Conclusions: Reported evidence of HCW measles immunity was moderate in surveyed facilities, with a large proportion having unknown status. HCW immunisation programs in some facilities require refinement to appropriately support public health responses to measles cases and prevention of occupational acquisition of measles. Implications for public health: Non-immune HCWs are at increased risk for acquiring and transmitting measles. Timely access to accurate HCW immunisation records is required to ensure that public health responses are effective., (© 2020 The Authors.)

Background: Inconsistencies regarding the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) have raised concerns for the safety of surgical staff during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This rapid review synthesizes the literature and includes input from clinical experts to provide evidence-based guidance for surgical services., Methods: The rapid review comprised of targeted searches in PubMed and grey literature. Pertinent findings were discussed by a working group of clinical experts, and consensus recommendations, consistent with Australian and New Zealand Government guidelines, were formulated., Results: There was a paucity of high-quality primary studies specifically investigating appropriate surgical PPE for healthcare workers treating patients possibly infected with COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 is capable of aerosol, droplet and fomite transmission, making it essential to augment standard infection control measures with appropriate PPE, especially during surgical emergencies and aerosol-generating procedures. All biological material should be treated a potential source of SARS-COV-2. Staff must have formal training in the use of PPE and should be supervised by a colleague during donning and doffing. Patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should wear a surgical mask during transfer to and from theatre. Potential solutions exist in the literature to extend the use of surgical P2/N95 respirators in situations of limited supply., Conclusion: PPE is advised for all high-risk procedures and when a patient's COVID-19 status is unknown. Surgical departments should facilitate staggered rostering, remote meeting attendance, and self-isolation of symptomatic staff. Vulnerable surgical staff should be identified and excluded from operations with a high risk of COVID-19 infection., (© 2020 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.)

Background: Exposure to natural rubber latex, primarily through the use of gloves, is a well-recognized cause of occupational asthma. We investigated latex glove use among Australian workers and estimated the resultant burden of occupational asthma among healthcare workers (HCWs)., Methods: Data were collected in 2014 as part of the Australian Work Exposures Study-Asthma, a telephone survey investigating the prevalence of current occupational exposure to asthmagens, including latex. We estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) to determine variables associated with the use of latex gloves among HCWs and calculated the asthma-related disability-adjusted life years due to latex exposure among HCWs., Results: Latex gloves were used by 22% of respondents. Almost two-thirds (63%) of HCWs reported wearing latex gloves, with 26% using powdered latex gloves. The use of latex gloves was more common among those employed in micro companies (less than 5 employees) than large companies (200+ employees) (aPR = 1.5, 95% confidence interval 1.1-2.0). Latex exposure in HCWs was estimated to contribute 3% of the total asthma-related burden., Discussion: Latex gloves are widely used by Australian workers and by HCWs in particular., Conclusions: This is the first estimate of the burden of asthma attributable to occupational exposure to latex among HCWs. These results can be used to guide decisions regarding the control of occupational exposure to latex., (Copyright © 2018 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)