'We're at war.' Healthcare workers' experience with organisational change, uncertainty and vaccine hesitancy in 2021 and 2022 during the COVID-19 vaccination programe in Poland.

Publisher: Wiley Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 8605825 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1099-1751 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 07496753 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Int J Health Plann Manage Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: Chichester, Sussex, England : Wiley, c1985-

COVID-19 Vaccines*/administration & dosage ; COVID-19*/prevention & control ; Health Personnel*/psychology ; Vaccination Hesitancy*/psychology ; Organizational Innovation*; Humans ; Poland ; Uncertainty ; Female ; Male ; Attitude of Health Personnel ; Adult ; Interviews as Topic ; Immunization Programs ; Middle Aged ; SARS-CoV-2

This article analyses the organisation of the mass COVID-19 vaccination programme in Poland and its consequences for various aspects of the social identity of healthcare workers (HCWs). Based on 31 in-depth interviews with HCWs, our study reveals the following: (1) Certain elements of the programme (inclusion of other healthcare professionals like pharmacists and laboratory diagnosticians as vaccinators) and the provision of additional infrastructure (pharmacies and shopping malls) may prompt scepticism and criticism in physicians and nurses who feel challenged about their professional autonomy and hierarchies; (2) Given the high levels of professional uncertainty, the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination is forcing HCWs to revise their attitude to medical standards, resulting in specific responses and adaptation strategies (ranging from the active involvement in the programme due to the sense of mission, to more or less evident scepticism); and (3) Confronting vaccine hesitancy, both among patients and other HCWs, contributes to the feeling of helplessness, leading to criticism of policymakers.
(© 2024 The Authors. The International Journal of Health Planning and Management published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

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Narodowa Agencja Wymiany Akademickiej

Keywords: COVID‐19 vaccine hesitancy; Covid‐19; professional autonomy; professional uncertainty; vaccination programme

0 (COVID-19 Vaccines)

Date Created: 20240329 Date Completed: 20240902 Latest Revision: 20240902

20240902

10.1002/hpm.3801

38549154