Critical Care Staffing in Pandemics and Disasters: A Consensus Report From a Subcommittee of the Task Force for Mass Critical Care- Systems Strategies to Sustain the Health Care Workforce

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented mental health disturbances, burnout, and moral distress among health-care workers, affecting their ability to care for themselves and their patients. METHODS: The Workforce Sustainment subcommittee of the Task Force for Mass Critical Care (TFMCC) utilized a consensus development process, incorporating evidence from literature review with expert opinion through a modified Delphi approach to determine factors affecting mental health, burnout, and moral distress in health-care workers, to propose necessary actions to help prevent these issues, and enhance workforce resilience, sustainment, and retention. RESULTS: Consolidation of evidence gathered from literature review and expert opinion resulted in 197 total statements that were synthesized into 14 major suggestions. These suggestions were organized into three categories: (1) mental health and well-being for staff in medical settings; (2) system-level support and leadership; and (3) research priorities and gaps. Suggestions include both general and specific occupational interventions to support health-care worker basic physical needs, psychological distress, reduce moral distress and burnout, and foster mental health and resilience. CONCLUSIONS: The Workforce Sustainment subcommittee of the TFMCC offers evidence-informed operational strategies to assist health-care workers and hospitals plan, prevent, and treat the factors affecting health-care worker mental health, burnout, and moral distress to improve resilience and retention following the COVID-19 pandemic.