Panu Saaristo’s research while affiliated with The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and other places

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Publications (5)


of the findings: The three psychosocial aspects and their related themes.
Table of Demographic Data.
Example of the Data Analysis of the Three Psychosocial Aspects.
Nurses in an Ebola Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Outbreak: Facing and Preparing for Psychosocial Challenges
  • Article
  • Full-text available

May 2020

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56 Reads

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4 Citations

Stéphanie Paillard-Borg

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Jessica Holmgren

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Panu Saaristo

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Eva von Strauss

The purpose of this study was to describe the psychosocial experience of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ nurses upon their return from deployment at an Ebola Treatment Center during an Ebola virus disease outbreak in Kenema, Sierra Leone, between 2014 and 2015. The following three psychosocial aspects related to pre-, during, and postdeployment were explored: stress management, sociocultural exposure, and attitudes from others. This is a descriptive qualitative study with a cross-sectional design. Questionnaires were administered to 50 nurses, of which 44 responded. Eight themes were identified in relation to the three psychosocial aspects of interest: professional- and self-confidence, pragmatism, wellness activities, human contact, cultural competency, professionalism, pariah, and/or hero. One of the most important findings in this article relates to the essential mental health support pre- and during deployment with an emphasis upon return when the risk of isolation and stigmatization is greater. In conclusion, more research is needed about the psychosocial challenges met by nurses to prepare and support them as increasing threat of emerging infectious diseases puts pressure on global health systems.

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A summary of findings presented in four themes
Nurses’ experiences of health concerns, teamwork, leadership and knowledge transfer during an Ebola outbreak in West Africa

March 2019

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158 Reads

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21 Citations

Aim To describe nurses’ experiences of health concerns, teamwork, leadership and management and knowledge transfer during an Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Design The study has a qualitative descriptive design. Methods The 44 nurses who had worked in an Ebola Treatment Centre in Kenema in 2014 and 2015 were invited by email to respond to a questionnaire. The qualitative, open‐ended answers were analysed using a thematic analysis. Data have been coded systematically, with the identification of semantic patterns presented in four themes. Results The themes are as follows: personal health management—a way to feel safe and secure for delegates and affiliates; pre‐deployment training—crucial for a joint value base and future collaboration; the importance of a professional democratic approach and being a good role model; and the value of timely in‐depth knowledge transfer of experienced former delegates.



Figure 1. Percentage of study population having previous humanitarian work experience, previous emergency response unit (ERU) training, and having problems handling stress after deployment divided by time of deployment (during 2014 or 2015 respectively). 
Figure 2. A summary of the participants' recommendations on how to better prepare health care staff for future viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF) outbreaks before, during and after deployment. 
Global nursing in an Ebola viral haemorrhagic fever outbreak: before, during and after deployment

October 2017

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119 Reads

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37 Citations

Background: Nurses are on the forefront and play a key role in global disaster responses. Nevertheless, they are often not prepared for the challenges they are facing and research is scarce regarding the nursing skills required for first responders during a disaster situation. Objectives: To investigate how returnee nursing staff experienced deployment before, during and after having worked for the Red Cross at an Ebola Treatment Center in Kenema, West Africa, and to supply knowledge on how to better prepare and support staff for viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional approach. Questionnaires were administered to nurses having worked with patients suffering from Ebola in 2014 and 2015. Data collection covered aspects of pre-, during and post-deployment on clinical training, personal health, stress management, leadership styles, socio-cultural exposure and knowledge transfer, as well as attitudes from others. Data was analysed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Results: Response-rate was 88%: forty-four nurses from 15 different countries outside West Africa answered the questionnaire. The respondents identified the following needs for improvement: increased mental health and psychosocial support and hands-on coping strategies with focus on pre- and post-deployment; more pre-deployment task-oriented clinical training; and workload reduction, as exhaustion is a risk for safety. Conclusions: This study supplies knowledge on how to better prepare health care staff for future viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks and other disasters. Participants were satisfied with their pre-deployment physical health preparation, whereas they stressed the importance of mental health support combined with psychosocial support after deployment. Furthermore, additional pre-clinical training was requested.


Developing Smart Practices for Prehospital Field Staff in Situations of Insecurity through Knowledge Co-Construction

April 2017

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9 Reads

Prehospital and disaster medicine: the official journal of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the World Association for Emergency and Disaster Medicine in association with the Acute Care Foundation

Study/Objective The Community of Action for Ambulance and Prehospital Emergency Care Providers in Risk Situations is a network of experts and other relevant actors, committed to improving the operational security in situations of insecurity, in order to better access people in need of emergency medical assistance. There is a lack of high-quality case studies that document the experience and practice of prehospital care.The Community of Action requires effective tools to build its network, develop high-quality knowledge, and foster learning between its members. Background Almost irrespective of the country or the services, prehospital care providers risk being exposed to violence and/or the threat of violence. The extent and frequency of the violence will vary, but threats, insults and physical attacks are a reality for ambulance and prehospital personnel even in the most peaceful contexts. Considering the serious consequences of such violence, there has been very little research done on this problem, and the solutions that have been developed to address it. Therefore, it is challenging to advocate for change and help the providers to safely deliver on-the-job that they are mandated to do. Methods A 4-week digital course using Scholar - a system for learning through knowledge co-construction, was developed in partnership with the Geneva Learning Foundation. Results Each participant developed a draft case study, then peer reviewed the drafts of three of their colleagues, and finally revised their initial draft using the feedback from their peers. Through the four weeks, participants engaged in a private, shared space for dialogue. Conclusion The Scholar process, based on peer review that models how prehospital practitioners solve problems, learn and collaborate, produces an immediate benefit for those involved as both authors and reviewers; quality; strengthened professional relationships that outlast the process and productive diversity.

Citations (3)


... This study's in-depth interviews with health workers, including nurses and stakeholders, allow for a comprehensive exploration of their experiences, perceptions, and expertise. With their frontline experience, nurses can offer unique perspectives on the challenges faced in dealing with Ebola, the risks encountered, and the effectiveness of various prevention measures (Paillard-Borg et al., 2020). ...

Reference:

The potential risk components and prevention measures of the Ebola virus disease outbreak in Liberia: An in-depth interview with the health workers and stakeholders
Nurses in an Ebola Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Outbreak: Facing and Preparing for Psychosocial Challenges

... Knowledge-sharing and humble leadership developed as fundamental nursing leadership qualities (Mrayyan & Al-Rjoub, 2024b;Wang et al., 2018). Participants appreciate the importance of information sharing in enhancing the collective competency of medical staff members, which is consistent with our findings by Holmgren et al. (2019). Understanding patients' problems Note. ...

Nurses’ experiences of health concerns, teamwork, leadership and knowledge transfer during an Ebola outbreak in West Africa

... The kind of services each employee offers and the significance of realising their part in handling such situations are directly tied to how willing they are to respond to such instances. Transportation issues, the obligation of employees to care for others, ignorance of the risks involved or their part in responding to pandemics, and employees' fear of infecting themselves or their families are some of the obstacles that prevent workers from taking part in pandemic response activities [68,73,74]. ...

Global nursing in an Ebola viral haemorrhagic fever outbreak: before, during and after deployment