Experiences of Healthcare Workers During the U.S. COVID-19 Pandemic Study Information and Agreement to Participate

Purpose

The purpose of this research study is to better understand experiences of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S.

Procedures

You are being asked to participate in this study because you either have or are currently working as a registered nurse during the pandemic. If you choose to participate in this study, we will ask you some questions about your experiences with colleagues, patients, and administrators. We will also ask questions about how these experiences have impacted other areas of your life.

If you enroll in this study, we will ask for your cell phone number and you will download the free app WhatsApp to your phone. We will send you messages on WhatsApp at most three times a week to ask about your own experiences working as a health care provider. Each message from us on WhatApp will be a text message or a short audio file with a question or questions for you to answer.

You can respond to these questions by recording your own audio file and sending it to us on WhatsApp. We expect that each audio file will take about 5 minutes, three times a week, for as many weeks as you wish to continue to participate in the study. If you choose to record longer messages, your participation could take more time.

If you complete 5 audio diary entries, you will receive a WhatsApp message asking whether you would like to receive a $10 electronic gift card, as a token of our appreciation of your contribution to this research. After an additional 10 audio diaries are completed, you will receive a WhatsApp message asking whether you would like to receive a $20 electronic gift card in appreciation for your contribution. Electronic Amazon gift cards will be sent as a text to the phone number you use for WhatsApp communication.

You may receive a message asking whether you would be interested in being contacted to schedule a follow-up interview with a researcher by video or telephone call. If you receive this message and complete a follow-up interview, you will receive a $20 electronic gift card.

Confidentiality

All of your messages will remain completely confidential, and no one beyond the researchers in this study will be able to link your responses to your phone number. Any audio recordings that you send will be transcribed and the original audio files will be erased. If you mention any names of individuals or workplaces, these will be erased from the transcript. The transcriptions will be kept on a password-protected computer. The transcriptions will be protected through file encryption and passwords. Your phone number will NOT be linked with these transcriptions. If any direct quotes from your audio files are reported in printed work or presentations, we will take care to remove any information that we think would allow someone else to identify you.

Voluntary Participation

If you do not feel comfortable responding to any of the questions that we ask, or do not want to answer them for any other reason, you may skip any question at any time. You have the choice to end your participation in this research and can withdraw from the study at any time. If you withdraw, we will stop sending you WhatsApp messages. Withdrawal from the study will not result in any penalty.

Potential Risks

You may experience some discomfort or stress when answering questions about your experiences working during COVID-19. Recalling your experiences from work could be stressful or even painful. However, you will choose what information you want to include in your responses to our questions. If a question makes you uncomfortable, you can choose not to answer it.

It is possible that you could include information that would allow someone who knows you to identify you as the speaker, even if the researchers remove information that we think would allow others to identify you. Again, you will choose what information and how much information you want to include in your responses to our questions.

Although some people do find value in sharing their experiences with another person, there is little individual benefit to participating in this study. However, the results from this study may help us to understand the unique challenges of nurses during a social and public health crisis.

Your Questions or Concerns

If you have any questions or concerns about this research, you can contact Dr. Emily Marshall at 717-358-4237, emily.marshall@fandm.edu.

Questions concerning your rights as a participant in this research may also be addressed to Lauren Howard, Ph.D., Office: 132E, Ann & Richard Barshinger Life Sciences & Philosophy Building, 717-358-4454, lauren.howard@fandm.edu. This project has been reviewed and approved by the Franklin & Marshall College Institutional Review Board.

Agreement to Participate in this Research Study

If you want to proceed and become a participant in the study, please confirm that you have read the informed consent document above and understand the material in it by selecting “Agree, wish to participate in the study” below. If you do not want to participate in the study, please select “Disagree, do not wish to participate in the study.”