Experiences of Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Research Validity and Research Designs
Your Name
Subject and Section
Professor’s Name
March 2, 2023
Initial Research Problems
The initial research problem for this mini-study is exploring the experiences of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Research Questions and Methodology
The research questions for the qualitative component of the study are as follows:
* What are the experiences of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic?
* How have healthcare workers coped with the challenges and stressors of the pandemic?
* What strategies have healthcare workers used to manage their emotional and psychological well-being during the pandemic?
The research methodology chosen for this study is a phenomenological approach. Phenomenology is a qualitative research approach that seeks to understand the lived experiences of individuals within a particular phenomenon or situation (Cuthberston et al., 2020). In this case, the focus is on the experiences of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Data Collection Techniques
Data collection techniques used in the mini-study include semi-structured interviews with healthcare workers. The interviews will be conducted over the phone or via video conferencing, depending on the participants' preferences (Zolyomi et al., 2019).
Protocol
The protocol for the semi-structured interview is as follows:
1 Introduction: Introduce the purpose of the study and provide background information about the research problem.
2 Consent: Obtain informed consent from the participant.
3 Demographic information: Collect demographic information, including age, gender, job title, and years of experience in healthcare.
4 Open-ended questions: Ask open-ended questions about the participants' experiences during the pandemic. Examples of open-ended questions include:
1 Can you describe your experiences as a healthcare worker during the pandemic?
2 How has your work changed since the pandemic began?
3 What challenges have you faced as a healthcare worker during the pandemic?
5 Follow-up questions: Ask follow-up questions to clarify responses or explore a particular topic in depth.
6 Closing: Thank the participant for their time and provide information about the next steps in the study.
Close-ended Questionnaire
1 On a scale of 1-10, how much has your workload increased since the pandemic began?
2 Have you received adequate support from your organization during the pandemic? (Yes/No)
3 Have you experienced any physical symptoms related to stress or anxiety during the pandemic? (Yes/No)
4 Have you used coping strategies to manage your emotional or psychological well-being during the pandemic? (Yes/No)
5 On a scale of 1-10, how concerned are you about contracting COVID-19 at work?
Sample Population
The sample population for this mini-study will be healthcare workers in a hospital or clinic setting. The data will be analyzed using thematic analysis to identify themes or patterns.
Data and Data Analysis
The table below shows a sample of the data that might be collected and analyzed using this approach:
Participant ID

Age

Gender

Occupation

COVID-19 Vaccinati...