CPH-NEW Response to COVID-19

Technical Assistance

  • COVID-19 Response at UMass Lowell:

Since early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Professor Laura Punnett has been providing subject expertise on related workplace health and safety issues, ranging from virus testing and surveillance to aerosol transmission and ventilation. This service has been provided through her participation as a member of the Advisory Board of the Mass. Occupational Health Surveillance Project; the Health Technical Committee of the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health; the UMass Lowell union health and safety committee, where she represents the Massachusetts Society of Professors; and the Massachusetts Occupational Health and Safety Hazard Advisory Board convened by the Department of Labor Standards. Of particular concern is supporting UMass Lowell campus personnel who are responsible for planning the re-opening of campus in September 2020.

Research

  • Virtual Design Team on COVID-19 concerns for Educators:

CPH-NEW was awarded grant funding from the University of Massachusetts Lowell to study K-12 and higher education staff concerns about COVID-19 and school re-opening plans. We will use Zoom to facilitate a virtual "IDEAS" design process with educator Design Teams as they brainstorm feasible solutions to some of the potential hazards that educators face during this extraordinary time. Lead investigator Laura Punnett explained the practical and public health significance of the study by saying. "This is a critical time to involve educators meaningfully in solution-building around COVID-19 and school re-opening. We are excited to share our design process and the data collected with educational leaders. We are also eager to apply the skills that we will develop in our ongoing fieldwork with health care personnel."

  • Assessing nurses' experiences with workplace incivility during the COVID-19 pandemic:

CPH-NEW investigator Mazen El Ghaziri, Ph.D., RN from the UMass Lowell Solomont School of Nursing is co-leading a multi-state cross-sectional study to explore the experiences of Registered Nurses (RNs) with workplace incivility during the COVID-19 pandemic. Collaborating institutions include UMass Medical School Graduate School of Nursing, University of Washington Tacoma School of Nursing and Healthcare Leadership, and University of San Francisco School of Nursing and Health Professions. Workplace incivility is associated with psychological and physical safety, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and other negative health outcomes in victims, as well as with adverse patient outcomes. Results from this project will allow the investigators to identify the exposures and inform the development of resources to address the incivility exposure during the response to COVID-19 and assist with proactive planning for future outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics regarding this exposure.

Publication