“We’re all still in it, and we’re all still there . . . supporting each other.” Examining Critical Care  nurses’ descriptions of social support, burnout, and recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fillion, Chantal

“We’re all still in it, and we’re all still there . . . supporting each other.” Examining Critical Care nurses’ descriptions of social support, burnout, and recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic.

dc.contributor.advisor	Mudry, Tanya
dc.contributor.author	Fillion, Chantal
dc.contributor.committeemember	Mudry, Tanya
dc.contributor.committeemember	Domene, José
dc.contributor.committeemember	Kendrick, Astrid
dc.date	2023-11
dc.date.accessioned	2023-09-20T21:09:18Z
dc.date.available	2023-09-20T21:09:18Z
dc.date.issued	2023-09-19
dc.description.abstract	The COVID-19 pandemic introduced complex challenges for Critical Care (CC) nurses, including unsustainable workloads, heightened exposure to secondary trauma, unpredictable work environments, and other significant personal and professional challenges. Rates of burnout and job attrition have reached concerning heights, indicating a need for change in our healthcare system. Social bonds are crucial for wellbeing and survival and can be deepened or compromised in the high-stress environments and changing social landscapes which have resulted from the pandemic. The following research question guided this research: how did CC nurses describe social support as helping or hindering to burnout and recovery while working the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic? I conducted this study as a secondary analysis of interviews investigating what helped and hindered CC nurses’ experiences of burnout and recovery during the pandemic. Using reflexive thematic analysis (RTA), I constructed five main themes (institutional neglect, opposition from the public, strained personal relationships, empathetic bonding among CC nurses, and accessing effective professional support). These themes enhance our understanding of the complexity of CC nurses’ experiences and elucidate the role of social support. In connection with the key findings from this study, I identified several considerations for preventing and mitigating burnout and promoting recovery within a social ecological framework.
dc.identifier.citation	Fillion, C. (2023). “We’re all still in it, and we’re all still there . . . supporting each other.” Examining Critical Care nurses’ descriptions of social support, burnout, and recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/1880/117128
dc.identifier.uri	https://doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/41970
dc.language.iso	en
dc.publisher.faculty	Graduate Studies
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject	COVID-19
dc.subject	Burnout
dc.subject	Recovery
dc.subject	Healthcare
dc.subject	Critical Care
dc.subject	Nursing
dc.subject	Recovery
dc.subject	Social Support
dc.subject	Felt Understanding
dc.subject	Reflexive Thematic Analysis
dc.subject	Social Ecological Model
dc.subject.classification	Mental Health
dc.title	“We’re all still in it, and we’re all still there . . . supporting each other.” Examining Critical Care nurses’ descriptions of social support, burnout, and recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic.
dc.type	master thesis
thesis.degree.discipline	Education Graduate Program – Educational Psychology
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary
thesis.degree.name	Master of Science (MSc)
ucalgary.thesis.accesssetbystudent	I do not require a thesis withhold – my thesis will have open access and can be viewed and downloaded publicly as soon as possible.