Challenges and Resilience: Leadership, PQOL, and Moral Distress Amidst The COVID-19 Crisis

To appreciate how the professional demands brought on by the corona virus disease - 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic impacted nurses and other healthcare workers' morale and general quality of life (QOL), and how it influenced their capacity to serve patients. For healthcare professionals who are providing patient care, this pandemic presents the prospect of a poor work-life balance and heightened Moral Distress (MD). Research that was semi-structured with outpatient healthcare professionals (HCP) was conducted using a converging multidisciplinary design with snowball sampling techniques. As a consequence of the apparent lack of support from decision-making leadership, the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE), and the frequently shifting legislation, healthcare professionals (HCPN) reported an increase in moral agony and a decrease in their professional quality of life (PQOL). By implementing shared governance, training in crisis management, and increased communication, executive leadership may be able to prevent a decrease in PQOL and an increase in MD among front-line HCPNs.