It Absolutely Broke Me: A Psychoanalytic Exploration of the Staff Experience of COVID-19

This study was conceived by nurse researchers working throughout the pandemic on a COVID ward, aiming to explore in depth the experience of ward staff. Full ethical approval was obtained and in-depth unstructured interviews were conducted with staff members (two doctors, two healthcare assistants, two allied health professionals, and four nurses). Data analysis followed a psychosocial approach using psychoanalytic theory as a tool for examining data. Whilst previous research has identified the emotional labor of work during the COVID pandemic, with subsequent impact on staff mental health and well-being, this is the first study to demonstrate the usefulness of psychoanalytic methodology in this context. Deeper consideration of the internal world and affective experience of the participants in relationship to external events and context enables a complex interpretive understanding of the phenomena. This study therefore provides valuable insight on a different level to that attained through traditional quantitative and qualitative research methods. A psychoanalytic lens of analysis enabled us to develop a model of the elements which combined to lead to psychological disturbance, the institutional defences that inadvertently compounded the experience as traumatic, the personal meaning derived from the experience, which staff members relied on to survive, and the lasting impact. We add to the evidence base around experience of the COVID pandemic, highlighting the profound and long-lasting impact on staff and demonstrating the value of psychoanalytic research methodology. We conclude by discussing the implications of our study for future practice, particularly in terms of leadership and staff well-being.