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COVID-19 Workforce Resilience/Sustainability Resources
Topic Collection
November 14, 2023

Topic Collection: COVID-19 Workforce Resilience/Sustainability Resources

This Topic Collection focuses on plans, tools, templates, and other immediately implementable resources to help with COVID-19 preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation efforts, focusing on workforce resilience and sustainability.

This Resource Collection was reviewed in Fall 2023. Please refer to CDC’s Coronavirus Disease 2019 webpage for the most up-to-date clinical guidance on COVID-19 outbreak management.

If you have COVID-19 promising practices, plans, tools, or templates to share with your peers, please visit the ASPR TRACIE Information Exchange COVID-19 Information Sharing Page (registration required) and place your resources under the relevant topic area. Resources specific to workforce protection and sustainability can be placed under the COVID-19 Workforce Resilience/Protection/Sustainability Resources Topic.

NOTE: inclusion of any reference in this document does not constitute an endorsement, acknowledgment, or suggestion that the reference is the only or best example for that topic. References are included as examples which were provided as suggestions at the time the document was developed.

All guidance posted is accessible to the public, and non-federal resources are noted with an asterisk (*). Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. government, or any of its employees, of the information and/or products presented on that site. 

This Topic Collection focuses on plans, tools, templates, and other immediately implementable resources to help with COVID-19 preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation efforts, focusing on workforce resilience and sustainability.

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Education and Training

National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences. (2020). NIEHS Worker Training Program.
This page contains health and safety resources and multiple trainings for workers who may be at risk of exposure to COVID-19.
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* Nebraska Medicine. (2020). COVID-19 Resources for Providers *.
This frequently updated page includes information on use, donning and doffing, and decontamination of personal protective equipment; protocols and checklists; inpatient, ambulatory, surgical, special patient populations, treatment, and patient transport guidance; and other related resources for healthcare providers.
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The National Child Traumatic Stress Network. (2020). Skills for Psychological Recovery (SPR) Online*.
Skills for Psychological Recovery (SPR) is a 5-hour interactive course designed for providers to help survivors gain skills to manage distress and cope with post-disaster stress and adversity. This course is for individuals who want to learn about using SPR, learning the goals and rationale of each core skill, delivering SPR, and supporting survivors in the aftermath of a disaster or traumatic event (https://learn.nctsn.org/enrol/index.php?id=535 *).
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Education and Training: Personal Protective Equipment

American Industrial Hygiene Association. (2020). Proper Use of Respirators for Healthcare Workers and First Responders *.
This infographic explains how to properly wear a respirator and includes facts about respirators and COVID-19. It also includes practical reminders for the healthcare workforce.
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American Industrial Hygiene Association. (2020). Ventilation, Surface Disinfection, and PPE Consideration for the Infection Preventionist and Industrial Hygienist *.
This town hall webinar from 3/26/2020 addresses questions about ventilation, surface disinfection, respirators, construction issues, and occupational health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Personal Protective Equipment Use Tracking Tools. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
This Excel-based calculator allows healthcare facilities and other workplaces to enter the quantity of their current stock of various types of personal protective equipment (PPE) and calculate an average consumption rate (burn rate). Based on the burn rate, they can estimate their remaining PPE supply. The PPE Tracker app allows healthcare facilities to calculate their remaining supply of personal protective equipment based on current inventory levels and their burn rate.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Conserving Supplies of Personal Protective Equipment in Healthcare Facilities during Shortages.
This site has multiple links to help healthcare facilities and staff optimize their personal protective equipment (PPE), with specific guidance on the usage of gowns, masks, eye protection, and N95 respirators, PPE decontamination procedures, and responses to frequently asked questions.
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* Nebraska Medicine. (2020). COVID-19 Resources for Providers *.
This frequently updated page includes information on use, donning and doffing, and decontamination of personal protective equipment; protocols and checklists; inpatient, ambulatory, surgical, special patient populations, treatment, and patient transport guidance; and other related resources for healthcare providers.
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U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2023). Emergency Use Authorizations.
This website provides up-to-date links on recently passed Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs). EUAs may be issued to allow for the use of personal protective equipment decontamination technologies, amongst other things, during times of crisis.
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Guidance

American Medical Association. (2020). Senior Physician COVID-19 Resource Guide*.
This resource page dated 3/28/2020 offers considerations for retired physicians interested in returning to practice to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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ASPR TRACIE. (2020). Staff Absenteeism Resources.
This ASPR TRACIE Technical Assistance response document provides resources specific to healthcare system emergency preparedness planners and healthcare workers to use while preparing for and responding to staff absenteeism related to the infectious disease outbreaks.
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Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2021). COVID-19 Healthcare ETS. U.S. Department of Labor.
This page includes the emergency temporary standard (ETS) to protect healthcare workers from contracting COVID-19. In addition to the ETS, the page includes links to fact sheets, a press release, frequently asked questions, the executive order instructing development of the ETS, and resources to guide implementation of the ETS.
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Management of Exposed and/or Sick Healthcare Workers

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Interim U.S. Guidance for Risk Assessment and Public Health Management of Healthcare Personnel with Potential Exposure in a Healthcare Setting to Patients with Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).
This guidance can assist with the assessment of risk, monitoring, and work restriction decisions for healthcare workers with potential exposure to COVID-19.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Interim Guidance for Managing Healthcare Personnel with SARS-CoV-2 Infection or Exposure to SARS-CoV-2.
This guidance can help occupational health program leaders make decisions about when healthcare workers with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 can return to work.
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Plans, Tools, and Templates

University of California San Francisco, Department of Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Control. (2022). UCSF Health COVID-19 Clinical Resources*.
These frequently updated guidelines offer: 1) information on personal protective equipment, 2) algorithms, 3) other clinical information and announcements, 4) control plan and testing, 5) signage in multiple languages, 6) forms, 7) staff education materials, 8) provider and staff training resources, 9) patient education, 10) email digests, and 11) external resources.
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Self-Care and Resilience Resources for Responders and Healthcare Workers

ASPR TRACIE. (2019). Disaster Behavioral Health Self Care for Healthcare Workers Modules.
ASPR TRACIE has worked closely with ASPR At-Risk Individuals, Behavioral Health & Community Resilience (ABC) interagency/ external partner working groups in every disaster recovery operation for the last four years. One continuous knowledge gap identified during this time has been the need for information for front-line healthcare and social services workers to use prior to a disaster to recognize and reduce their stress levels and maintain resilience during recovery. These modules are designed for healthcare workers in all settings, but primarily hospital-based providers.
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ASPR TRACIE. (2020). Mini Modules to Relieve Stress for Healthcare Workers Responding to COVID-19: Creating a Practical Self-Care Plan in Difficult Times.
This short video can help healthcare providers create self-care plans to minimize stress and boost resilience.
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ASPR TRACIE. (2020). Mini Modules to Relieve Stress for Healthcare Workers Responding to COVID-19: Stress Management Exercise.
This five-minute video and exercise can help healthcare practitioners understand stress reactions and learn how taking just a few minutes to check in with oneself and de-stress can help.
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ASPR TRACIE. (2020). Responder Safety and Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Preparedness and Response.
The resources in this Topic Collection focus on safety strategies (e.g., preventing fatigue, ensuring the availability and correct use of personal protective equipment) and maintaining behavioral health (e.g., working through stress and preventing/addressing compassion fatigue).
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ASPR TRACIE. (2023). Disaster Behavioral Health Resources Page.
Disaster behavioral health (DBH) includes the provision of mental health, substance abuse, and stress management services to disaster survivors and responders (ASPR ABC, 2012). Incorporating DBH into all phases of emergency management can ensure resident and responder preparedness, an effective, compassionate response effort, and a more resilient community moving forward. The resources on this page can help our stakeholders accomplish these goals.
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Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress. (2020). Coronavirus and Emerging Infectious Disease Outbreaks: How Healthcare Personnel Can Support Military Families and their Health.
This tip sheet describes military life and what makes it unique and explains how to support personnel and their family members.
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Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress. (2020). Fight COVID-19 with Better Sleep Health: A Guide for Hospital Workers.
This tip sheet describes methods that healthcare workers can use to improve their sleep to maintain their health.
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* Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress. (2020). Sustaining the Well-Being of Healthcare Personnel During Coronavirus and Other Infectious Disease Outbreaks.
This one-page tip sheet lists the challenges healthcare personnel face during infectious disease outbreaks followed by “strategies for sustaining healthcare personnel well-being.”
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Coping with Stress.
This webpage can help users (including parents, responders, and people who have been released from quarantine) understand and manage their reactions to stressful situations (e.g., pandemics, natural and human-caused disasters).
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COVID-19 Healthcare Resilience Task Force. (2020). Health Promotion to Enhance Healthcare Worker Performance During COVID-19.
This document provides information on policies and best practices to use in the workplace to promote the health of the workforce and subsequently enhance and improve worker performance.
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COVID-19 Healthcare Resilience Task Force. (2020). National Crisis Support Hotlines and Directories for Healthcare Workers Experiencing COVID-19-Related Stress and Burnout.
This one-page document provides national crisis support hotlines and directories for healthcare workers experiencing COVID-19 related stress and burnout.
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National Academy of Medicine. (2020). Resources to Support the Health and Well-Being of Clinicians During the COVID-19 Outbreak *.
This webpage from the National Academy of Medicine includes strategies and resources to support the health and well-being of clinicians providing health care during the COVID-19 outbreak.
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National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. (2014). Caring for Yourself in the Face of Difficult Work.
This factsheet provides recommendations for self-care related to sleep, eating, exercise and interacting with others.
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NRCC Healthcare Resilience Task Force. (2020). Death of a Colleague During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
This resource provides recommendations for healthcare workers and leaders to consider for managing grief following the death of a healthcare worker during the COVID-19 response.
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NRCC Healthcare Resilience Task Force. (2020). Grief Following Patient Deaths During COVID-19.
This resource provides tips and general guidance to mitigate the impacts of healthcare provider grief related to patient death and to maintain workforce efficiency and individual well-being.
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World Health Organization. (2020). Mental Health and Psychosocial Considerations During COVID-19 Outbreak *.
This tip sheet, dated 3/18/2020, provides helpful strategies for the general public and healthcare workers on understanding stress and self-care.
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Supporting Workers

American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. (2020). COVID-19 Resource Center *.
This webpage includes links to COVID-19-related resources on topics including behavioral health and a peer-reviewed list of questions and answers specific to environmental and occupational health.
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American Hospital Association. (2020). Caring for Our Health Care Heroes During COVID-19 *.
This document from 5/20/2020 offers suggestions for how hospitals and health systems can support the mental health, food access, and housing needs of their workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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American Society for Health Care Human Resources Administration. (2020). COVID-19: Considerations for Healthcare Human Resources and Operational Leaders *.
These strategies can help leaders influence the value, flexibility, and safety for healthcare staff.
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Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress. (2020). Supporting Families of Healthcare Workers Exposed to COVID-19 *.
This tip sheet describes considerations for the families of healthcare workers when that healthcare worker has been or is at risk of being exposed to COVID-19.
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* Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress. (2020). Sustaining the Well-Being of Healthcare Personnel During Coronavirus and Other Infectious Disease Outbreaks.
This one-page tip sheet lists the challenges healthcare personnel face during infectious disease outbreaks followed by “strategies for sustaining healthcare personnel well-being.”
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Strategies to Mitigate Healthcare Personnel Staffing Shortages.
Maintaining appropriate staffing in healthcare facilities is essential to providing a safe work environment for healthcare workers and safe patient care. This document gives strategies to maintain workforce capacity.
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Zipperer, L. (2020). COVID-19: Team and Human Factors to Improve Safety. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
This article identifies healthcare worker safety issues that may result when responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and offers strategies to address these concerns.
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Workplace Policies and Human Resources Guidance

American Medical Association. (2022). Telehealth Implementation Playbook *.
During a pandemic, healthcare facilities may need telehealth/medicine capabilities. Telehealth policies help to prevent potential exposure in the workplace, thus limiting the impact to the health of the healthcare workforce. This guide is a resource for administrators to initiate those capabilities.
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Department of Labor. (2023). Workers’ Compensation-Claims under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act Due to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
This guidance explains that all federal employees who develop COVID-19 while performing duties in their federal job capacity are entitled to workers' compensation coverage.
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