Abstract:
The emergence of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected healthcare
professionals‘ psychological and mental health. Despite a plethora of research
exploring the experiences of healthcare professionals during the first wave of
COVID-19 globally, very little of this research has explored this issue in the context
of Lesotho.
The purpose of this study was to examine Senkatana HCPs‘ experiences of work-
related stress during the first wave of COVID-19 in March 2020; to understand how
healthcare professionals felt when providing care to patients during the first wave of
COVID-19; to establish challenges brought by the COVID-19 emergence on
Senkatana healthcare professionals in the first wave of COVID-19, and to investigate
how healthcare professionals coped with work-related stress and the kind of support
that was available for Senkatana healthcare professionals during the first wave of
COVID-19. A qualitative research design was adopted. Data was collected using
interview guide from a sample of ten purposively selected nurses at Senkatana
clinic. The majority of the participants were registered nurses. Thematic analysis was
used to analyse the data collected. Therefore, the study used Stress Process Model
by Pearlin, Menaghan, Lieberman and Mullan (1981) to theorize the experiences of
Senkatana healthcare professional during the first wave of COVID-19.
The findings revealed that the nurses experienced work-related stress. The sources
of work-related stress were significantly associated with lack of knowledge, lack of
PPEs, increased workload, strained marital relationships and no support from the
union (LNA), as the findings show. Therefore, stress manifested in fear of COVID-19
and depression. It also emerged that the kind of support that was available during
the first wave of COVID-19 included social support and organisational support.
Again, it emerged that the nurses coped with work-related stress either by oath
retaken at work or with religion (prayer)
