Experience of frontline nurses who managed the COVID-19 crisis: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND: The health system was challenged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses, as part of the health system, were expected to manage themselves in a situation where everyone was in crisis and to be able to do their work quietly and calmly. This study was conducted to show how Iranian nurses faced the COVID-19 crisis. METHODS: In a qualitative content analysis study, 16 participants, including eight nurses, five supervisors, and three head nurses of a university hospital in Tehran, Iran, were interviewed between February and December 2020. Using purposive sampling, nurses who were working with patients with COVID-19 were selected to be involved. Data were analyzed using MAXQDA 10 software, and codes were categorized based on similarities and differences. FINDING: Data analysis revealed 212 codes. These codes were classified based on similarities and differences in 16 categories, and four main themes emerged: unpreparedness, positive adaptation, negative coping, and reorganization. CONCLUSION: Since nurses are on the frontline in times of biological disaster, the COVID-19 pandemic provided an opportunity to demonstrate the role of nurses in reducing the burden of disease, identifying problems and opportunities, and planning appropriate interventions.