Abstract
Background. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the management of patients in burn units has been under-explored. Paediatric burns are traumatic and often require emergency care owing to the vulnerability of children. Physiotherapy is crucial for managing burn patients, helping them return to optimum functional levels.
Objectives. To explore the perceived experiences of physiotherapists working in a paediatric burns unit during the COVID-19 lockdown, in South Africa (SA).
Method. A qualitative study was conducted using focus group discussions with three physiotherapists employed in a paediatric burns unit, in SA. The discussions were audio recorded, transcribed and captured onto an Excel sheet for inductive thematic data analysis.
Results. The concerns raised by the physiotherapists included compromised referral systems, patient communication issues and reduced mental wellbeing among the physiotherapists themselves. The participants experienced challenges with constantly changing management protocols, lack of PPE and a sharp increase in non-clinical workload.
Conclusion. The perceived physiotherapists’ challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic did not impact their effectiveness in managing paediatric burns patients but spoke to their resilience, which is an important trait of healthcare professionals.
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