Experiences of nurses caring for perinatal women and newborns during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A descriptive qualitative study

AIM: Nurses are pivotal in caring for patients infected with COVID‐19. Little is known about experiences of nurses in maternity care during the pandemic. Therefore, this study aimed to describe nurses’ experiences of caring for perinatal women and newborns during the pandemic. DESIGN: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted. METHODS: Data were collected from August–November 2020 using focus group and in‐depth interviews. A total of 24 nurses working in maternity and newborn care units participated in the study. Content analysis method was used for data analysis. RESULTS: The participants’ clinical experience ranged from 6 months–26 years. Three major themes emerged as follows: “making every effort to prevent COVID‐19 infection,” “caring for perinatal women and newborns with COVID‐19 infection or suspected infection” and “job stress and professional growth during the pandemic.” Participants reported that they needed more support in terms of staffing and mental health.