Advanced Clinical Practitioners’ Resilience and Emotional and Spiritual Well-Being During COVID-19

Abstract

Aim: This study investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the emotional and spiritual well-being and the resilience of advanced clinical practitioners in the United Kingdom.

Background: Advanced clinical practitioners are experienced healthcare professionals educated to a master’s level who demonstrate expertise, professional judgment, and autonomy across four pillars of advanced practice. Normally, in nursing and the allied health professions, advanced clinical practitioners provide clinical leadership and improve clinical continuity by providing high-quality care to patients through complex decision-making and managing risk. The role contributes to workforce transformation enabling organizations to meet changing population, patient, and service delivery needs. Advanced clinical practitioners’ well-being and resilience were particularly at risk during the pandemic due to the increased workload, moral distress, redeployment into other clinical areas, and isolation. Phase 1 of this study identified that advanced clinical practitioners had worryingly low levels of well-being and resilience during the first 6 months of the pandemic. This paper reports Phase 2’ findings 1 year into the pandemic.

Method: Three hundred and seventy-one respondents completed an online survey comprising three validated scales assessing resilience and emotional and spiritual well-being.

Results: One year into the pandemic, advanced clinical practitioners reported a continued decline in their well-being, with average scores on this measure being 12 percent lower compared to prepandemic levels Differences also emerged in the scores of advanced clinical practitioners practicing in primary and secondary care services.

Conclusion: Our findings showed the ongoing deleterious impact of the pandemic on the well-being and resilience of advanced clinical practitioners. As the attention of healthcare leaders shifts to the delivery of services post-COVID-19, the longer-term impact of the pandemic on the mental health and well-being of the workforce, alongside the ongoing workforce crisis in the UK and globally, means the well-being and resilience of advanced clinical practitioners need urgent addressing if these role holders are to continue to lead patient care, workforce transformation, and service innovation. Tailored interventions to support advanced clinical practitioners appear necessary to prevent significant workforce impact including absenteeism, long-term stress, sickness absence, and loss to the healthcare workforce.