Perspectives of Yukon’s frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic
The perspectives of Yukon’s nurses and physicians can determine what might mitigate burnout and strengthen the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and/or future health emergencies. The study was conducted in the Yukon Territory, Canada in two phases: completion of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
|
| Series: | International Journal of Circumpolar Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22423982.2024.2444118 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841555949334036480 |
|---|---|
| author | Liris Smith Mark Christopher Cody MacInnis Janelle Yasay Kat Secord Paul Banks Cindy Breitkreutz Adam Mackie Michelle Leach |
| author_facet | Liris Smith Mark Christopher Cody MacInnis Janelle Yasay Kat Secord Paul Banks Cindy Breitkreutz Adam Mackie Michelle Leach |
| author_sort | Liris Smith |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The perspectives of Yukon’s nurses and physicians can determine what might mitigate burnout and strengthen the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and/or future health emergencies. The study was conducted in the Yukon Territory, Canada in two phases: completion of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), and in-depth oral interviews. This paper will discuss the results of the interviews. A hybrid thematic analysis of 38 interviews revealed five primary themes: personal impacts; work-related effects; client effects/patient care; perceptions of the territorial response to COVID-19; and recommendations for future pandemics. The loss of social connection and burden of childcare contributed to personal burnout. Stressful work environments, increased workload, limited resources and feeling undervalued contributed to job stress and work-related burnout. Healthcare workers ascribed meaning to their roles in improving community health , which may have mitigated client-related burnout. Systemic change is needed to ensure the healthcare workforce can maintain service delivery and respond to future pandemics. The response to COVID-19 was mounted on the backs of frontline healthcare workers who made personal sacrifices and worked to exhaustion to serve their patients. As the healthcare system and its workforce recover from the pandemic, the calls to support healthcare workers must be answered. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0d8074ba19174ba6868fbd911f429dfe |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2242-3982 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Circumpolar Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-0d8074ba19174ba6868fbd911f429dfe2025-01-07T15:26:17ZengTaylor & Francis GroupInternational Journal of Circumpolar Health2242-39822025-12-0184110.1080/22423982.2024.2444118Perspectives of Yukon’s frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemicLiris Smith0Mark Christopher1Cody MacInnis2Janelle Yasay3Kat Secord4Paul Banks5Cindy Breitkreutz6Adam Mackie7Michelle Leach8Yukon Research Centre, Yukon University, Whitehorse, Yukon, CanadaYukon Research Centre, Yukon University, Whitehorse, Yukon, CanadaYukon Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (YSPOR), Whitehorse, Yukon, CanadaYukon Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (YSPOR), Whitehorse, Yukon, CanadaYukon Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (YSPOR), Whitehorse, Yukon, CanadaYukon Registered Nurses Association (YRNA), Whitehorse, Yukon, CanadaYukon Medical Association (YMA), Whitehorse, Yukon, CanadaYukon Licensed Practical Nurses Association (YLPNA), Whitehorse, Yukon, CanadaYukon Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (YSPOR), Whitehorse, Yukon, CanadaThe perspectives of Yukon’s nurses and physicians can determine what might mitigate burnout and strengthen the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and/or future health emergencies. The study was conducted in the Yukon Territory, Canada in two phases: completion of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), and in-depth oral interviews. This paper will discuss the results of the interviews. A hybrid thematic analysis of 38 interviews revealed five primary themes: personal impacts; work-related effects; client effects/patient care; perceptions of the territorial response to COVID-19; and recommendations for future pandemics. The loss of social connection and burden of childcare contributed to personal burnout. Stressful work environments, increased workload, limited resources and feeling undervalued contributed to job stress and work-related burnout. Healthcare workers ascribed meaning to their roles in improving community health , which may have mitigated client-related burnout. Systemic change is needed to ensure the healthcare workforce can maintain service delivery and respond to future pandemics. The response to COVID-19 was mounted on the backs of frontline healthcare workers who made personal sacrifices and worked to exhaustion to serve their patients. As the healthcare system and its workforce recover from the pandemic, the calls to support healthcare workers must be answered.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22423982.2024.2444118Frontline health care workersCOVID-19 pandemicYukonBurnoutrural health |
| spellingShingle | Liris Smith Mark Christopher Cody MacInnis Janelle Yasay Kat Secord Paul Banks Cindy Breitkreutz Adam Mackie Michelle Leach Perspectives of Yukon’s frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic International Journal of Circumpolar Health Frontline health care workers COVID-19 pandemic Yukon Burnout rural health |
| title | Perspectives of Yukon’s frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | Perspectives of Yukon’s frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Perspectives of Yukon’s frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Perspectives of Yukon’s frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | Perspectives of Yukon’s frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | perspectives of yukon s frontline health care workers during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | Frontline health care workers COVID-19 pandemic Yukon Burnout rural health |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22423982.2024.2444118 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lirissmith perspectivesofyukonsfrontlinehealthcareworkersduringthecovid19pandemic AT markchristopher perspectivesofyukonsfrontlinehealthcareworkersduringthecovid19pandemic AT codymacinnis perspectivesofyukonsfrontlinehealthcareworkersduringthecovid19pandemic AT janelleyasay perspectivesofyukonsfrontlinehealthcareworkersduringthecovid19pandemic AT katsecord perspectivesofyukonsfrontlinehealthcareworkersduringthecovid19pandemic AT paulbanks perspectivesofyukonsfrontlinehealthcareworkersduringthecovid19pandemic AT cindybreitkreutz perspectivesofyukonsfrontlinehealthcareworkersduringthecovid19pandemic AT adammackie perspectivesofyukonsfrontlinehealthcareworkersduringthecovid19pandemic AT michelleleach perspectivesofyukonsfrontlinehealthcareworkersduringthecovid19pandemic |