*2.1. Data Collection*

This study, conducted according to Helsinki Declaration principles (https://www. wma.net/what-we-do/medical-ethics/declaration-of-helsinki/, accessed on 22 August 2021), APA Ethics Code, and European and Italian Privacy Law (i.e., EU Reg. 679/2016, GDPRD and Legislative Decree n. 196/2003, Code regarding the protection of personal data), has been approved by PhD meeting curriculum in Psychology, Communication, and Social Sciences, (University of Macerata. Protocol code n. 19435, 3 August 2020).

It was conducted through an online survey, which started on May 15 and ended on 30 July 2020, to which Italian HCWs (nurses and physicians), enrolled in professional orders and associations, were invited to participate. The snowball sampling method was used.

Specifically, during the first week of May 2020, the authors sent an email to the presidents of all the Italian orders of physicians and nurses and of the main professional associations (e.g., Associazione Anestesisti Rianimatori Ospedalieri Italiani emergenza area critica/Italian Hospital Anesthetist Association for critical area emergency) to present the research protocol and asked them to send an invitation email to their members with the link to compile a self-report questionnaire or to publish it on their website. After three weeks, the authors sent a reminder email to those orders and associations that did not respond to the first email.

It should be noted that before sending the emails and making public the link to the online survey, three physicians, one obstetrician, and one nurse compiled the questionnaire and provided the authors their favorable opinion regarding its length, clarity, and comprehensibility of all the items. Survey administration was conducted through LimeSurvey software on a LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP, a common example of a web service stack) server. All communication was encrypted, using HTTPS protocol and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). No prize, as an incentive to compile the survey was offered, since it is not common practice in Italy and it could also affect the data by inducing subjects to offer socially desirable answers, thus compromising data reliability.

The questionnaire opened with some information concerning the aims of the research, the identity and contacts of the research team, the planned ways of disseminating the results, the references to the European and Italian privacy laws, and protection of personal data. The respondents could begin to fill in the questionnaire after having voluntarily consented to participate by signing an online informed consent. The questionnaire was composed of:


All the items of the questionnaire were compulsory, except for the open-ended question. The estimated average time for compiling the questionnaire was approximately 15 min.
