Cardiovascular nurses' experiences of working in the COVID-19 intensive care unit: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular nurses’ skills and experiences of cardiac critical care, management of cardiovascular emergencies, and mechanical circulatory support have been considered vital in providing nursing care for COVID-19 patients in intensive care units during the COVID-19 pandemic. To our knowledge, there are no studies have focused on the contribution and experiences of cardiovascular nurses in the critical care of COVID-19 patients. OBJECTIVES: To explore the experiences of cardiovascular nurses working in a COVID-19 intensive care unit during the pandemic. METHODS: The study was conducted as a qualitative study with phenomenological approach in June-December 2020. Study data were gathered from ten cardiovascular nurses through semi-structured interviews. RESULTS: Six themes emerged from the interview data: the duties and responsibilities in a COVID-19 intensive care unit; the differences of COVID-19 intensive care unit practices from cardiovascular practices; the transferrable skills of cardiovascular nurses in a COVID-19 intensive care unit; the difficulties encountered working in a COVID-19 intensive care unit; the difficulty of working with personal protective equipment; and the psychosocial effects of working in a COVID-19 intensive care unit. CONCLUSION: Cardiovascular nurses made an important contribution to the management of nursing services with their experiences and skills in the COVID-19 pandemic.