Professional Pride During COVID-19 in a Cohort of Healthcare Workers

TL;DR

This study explores how healthcare workers felt more proud of their jobs during the pandemic, despite stress, and how workplace support can help.

Contribution

The study identifies factors linked to increased professional pride in healthcare workers during the pandemic, highlighting disparities and modifiable workplace influences.

Findings

Healthcare workers reported increased professional pride during the pandemic, with teamwork and public appreciation being key contributors.

Male, older, and community-based healthcare workers were more likely to feel increased pride, while physicians and hospital staff reported lower pride.

Higher organizational support was associated with greater feelings of professional pride among healthcare workers.

Abstract

Public health relevance—How does this work relate to a public health issue?
Healthcare workers experienced both psychological strain and increased self-reported pride in their work role during the COVID-19 pandemic.Professional pride is an under-studied dimension of healthcare worker wellbeing with relevance for workforce sustainability during public health crises.

Healthcare workers experienced both psychological strain and increased self-reported pride in their work role during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Professional pride is an under-studied dimension of healthcare worker wellbeing with relevance for workforce sustainability during public health crises.

Public health significance—Why is this work of significance to public health?
This large prospective Canadian cohort identifies individual and workplace factors associated with self-reported professional pride among healthcare workers during the pandemic.Findings highlight disparities in pride across job roles, care settings, and mental health status, informing targeted workforce support strategies.

This large prospective Canadian cohort identifies individual and workplace factors associated with self-reported professional pride among healthcare workers during the pandemic.

Findings highlight disparities in pride across job roles, care settings, and mental health status, informing targeted workforce support strategies.

Public health implications—What are the key implications or messages for practitioners, policy makers and/or researchers in public health?
Professional pride may be positively associated with modifiable workplace factors such as greater support and confidence in access to protective equipment that imply care for the worker.Supporting mental health and acknowledging sources of professional pride may help mitigate negative experiences among healthcare workers during and after public health emergencies.

Professional pride may be positively associated with modifiable workplace factors such as greater support and confidence in access to protective equipment that imply care for the worker.

Supporting mental health and acknowledging sources of professional pride may help mitigate negative experiences among healthcare workers during and after public health emergencies.

We aimed to identify circumstances associated with feelings of pride in healthcare workers (HCWs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. A prospective cohort of Canadian HCWs reported pride-reinforcing events in April 2020 (Phase 1). In spring/summer 2022 (Phase 4), they completed a self-reported retrospective comparison rating of whether they ‘now feel more [professional] pride than before the pandemic’. Among 4964 HCWs, 4360 (88%) described pride-reinforcing events in Phase 1; 3926 (79%) rated feeling more professional pride than before the pandemic in Phase 4. Teamwork (34%) and public appreciation (13%) were most cited in Phase 1. At Phase 4, male and older HCWs and community-based staff reported feeling more pride. Working as a physician, in hospital, with COVID-19 patients, and early anxiety/depression were associated with lower pride. Higher ratings were associated with greater organizational support. Many HCWs reported feeling more professional pride than before the pandemic. External support may help mitigate negative feelings.

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