The Experiences of Operating Room Nurses During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the changes in the physical, mental, and social conditions of operating room nurses and their personal experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: The study applied a qualitative research design that included the content analysis method. METHODS: Face-to-face interviews were conducted online with 26 operating room nurses. Analysis of the data was completed in six steps using the content analysis method. FINDINGS: Four main themes emerged from the interviews: physical effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on operating room nurses, psychological effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on operating room nurses, operating room nurses’ perceptions on the training given to them during the COVID-19 pandemic, and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care worker and patient safety and nursing care. CONCLUSIONS: This study contributes new findings on the experiences of operating nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic to the relevant literature. The results of the study indicated that the nurses were negatively affected both physically and psychologically during this period, and that this directly affected patient care.