Journey of Nursing in COVID-19 Crisis: A Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exposed nurses to a rapidly changing patient care practice. This study explored nurses’ experiences in caring for COVID-19 patients. METHODS: Eighteen nurses, head nurses, and clinical supervisors employed in one of the hospitals affiliated to the Shahid Beheshti Medical University to participate in this qualitative content analysis study. Data were collected through interviews and field notes. The data were analyzed with conventional content analysis. RESULTS: Data analysis of nurses’ experiences with respect to COVID-19 patients resulted in the extraction of information on 5 major categories: “security in care-giving,” “healing hands, empty hands,” “mental and physical problems,” “multiple feelings,” and “self-reassurance” and 11 subcategories. CONCLUSION: We found that giving care to COVID-19 patients entailed complex, intermingled, and interrelated physical, mental, and emotional aspects that underwent changes over time so that it can be called “journey of nursing in COVID-19 crisis.” The findings of this study further revealed that nurses’ experiences, feelings, and thoughts underwent modifications gradually, over time. They believed that they have undergone development in caregiving and experienced deeper aspects of nursing care.