Predictors of Healthcare Professionals' Work Difficulty Perception during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Study of Work Environment in a Pandemic Hospital

COVID-19 has dramatically changed the work environment in healthcare, which is creating an additional burden for healthcare professionals. In this study, we investigate the factors that trigger professionals to have negative perceptions of their jobs during the pandemic. A cross-sectional survey is used for this study. The respondents are selected based on convenience random sampling. We use 345 questionaries for the analysis. Respondents are health care professionals (nurses, doctors, midwives, technicians, etc.) working in a pandemic hospital in Turkey. We run a multivariable logistic regression model to analyze the predictors of work difficulty perception. The model is adjusted for the respondents' demographical characteristics and emotional wellbeing. We found that depression and burnout are significantly correlated with the perception of job difficulty (OR Severe PHQ-9 = 10.8, p = 0.004; OR Severe Burnout = 7.83, p < 0.001). The professionals who are changed from one department to another are also more likely to perceive the job as difficult (OR Department Change = 1.60, p = 0.045). However, the professionals that received sufficient applause from society are more likely to think that they did not face any difficulties doing their job during the pandemic (OR Applause = 0.56, p < 0.016). Anxiety, monetary motivation, religious beliefs, and information availability did not contribute to the perceived difficulty in their jobs. Thus, efforts need to be made to give them more social support and smooth their changes in departments and functions to facilitate their jobs.