The Unseen Toll: Impact of COVID-19 on Professional Quality of Life of Healthcare Workers

Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCWs) were at risk of getting affected emotionally, physically, and psychologically. Repeated exposure to traumatic situations, concern for patients' well-being, social distancing measures, quarantine, and stigma lead to feelings of loneliness and depression. Stress, anxiety, insomnia, and burnout syndrome were the common psychological consequences noted in HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this pandemic period, improvements in positive patient outcomes and expressions of gratitude towards healthcare workers provided positive reinforcement for them. This positive feeling buffered the feeling of burnout. The balance between these two explains the professional quality of life (ProQOL). So this study aimed to study the professional quality of life of healthcare workers involved during the COVID-19 pandemic at a tertiary healthcare center. Material and methodology The study was conducted by using a pre-validated and reliable ProQOL questionnaire to assess the professional quality of life in 161 HCWs from a tertiary healthcare center (62 doctors, 89 nurses, and 10 technicians). Results ProQOL has positive (compassion satisfaction) and negative (compassion fatigue and burnout) aspects that individuals feel during their work as a helper. Compassion Satisfaction, Burnout, and Secondary Traumatic Stress were moderate in all three groups. Moderate level of Compassion Satisfaction was seen in 57 (91.93%) of doctors, 78 (87.6%) of nurses and 4 (40%) of technicians. Moderate level of Burnout was seen in 55 (88%) of doctors, 81 (91%) of nurses and 6 (60%) of technicians. Moderate level of Secondary Traumatic Stress was seen in 56 (90%) of doctors, 72 (80%) of nurses and 7 (70%) of technicians. Conclusion Overall, the moderate scores across all dimensions highlight the delicate balance maintained by healthcare workers between professional fulfillment and occupational stress during the pandemic. Institutional support systems, mental health interventions, peer support programs, and adequate staffing will promote a healthier professional quality of life among HCWs in high-stress environments like pandemics.