Cross-cultural differences and similarities in nurses’ experiences during the early stages of COVID-19 in Korea and the United States: A qualitative descriptive study

BACKGROUND: At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, governmental responses varied worldwide, which resulted in healthcare professionals and organizations having different experiences. As threats of global infectious disease and disasters increase, it is important to examine the collective experiences of nurses to leverage support across international settings and systems and to tailor specific policies to their local nursing workforce. OBJECTIVE: To compare and contrast nurses' experiences working in hospitals at the onset of COVID-19 in South Korea and the United States METHOD: This was a qualitative descriptive study. Nurses in South Korea and the United States were recruited through social media using snowball sampling between April and May 2020. Semi-structured telephone interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and translated as needed. The transcripts were analyzed thematically, and each theme was compared and synthesized using NVivo 12. RESULTS: A total of 43 nurses from South Korea (n = 21) and the United States (n = 22) participated in the study. The majority of the participants were female and working as staff nurses in both countries. The work settings were similar between the participants from two countries. However, the participants in South Korea provided less direct care to patients with COVID-19 compared to the participants in the United States. Despite cultural and infrastructure differences, the nurses shared similar experiences. CONCLUSION: The overlapping similarities of nurses’ experience highlight the need for national and global policies for a safe work environment and psychological well-being. The differences between the two countries also emphasize that specific policies and practice implications for the local contexts are needed in addition to global policies.