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

PURPOSE: The study was conducted to examine the experiences of operating room nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: This study was designed as a phenomenological qualitative research method. METHODS: This study was conducted with 10 volunteer operating room nurses who met the criteria for participation in the study between February 2021 and March 2021 in a public hospital. Data were collected using a personal information form and a semi-structured interview from using the in-depth interview technique. Two researchers and one expert created the themes and codes using the thematic analysis method. FINDINGS: As a result of the analysis, four themes and 29 codes were identified. The following codes were created for the theme "Changing systems and practices in the operating room": Personal protective equipment and sterility, workload/time, lack of communication between patient and nurse, decrease in the number of cases, change in the use of emergencies and elective procedures, flexible working methods. On the theme of the impact of the pandemic, anxiety/anxiety, psychological distress, difficulty with personal protective equipment, lack of nurses, longing/distance from family, sleep disturbances, family problems, and difficulty working in another department were noted. On the theme of coping strategies for the pandemic, the codes found were; communication with family, breathing/sporting exercises, spirituality, regular/healthy diet, online shopping, watching TV series/movies, and acceptance of the process. On the theme of "learning from the pandemic," the codes of the importance of life/health, the importance of family, worthlessness of the caring profession, financial injustice, gaining work experience, the importance of personal protection, lack of union support, and job satisfaction were produced. CONCLUSIONS: The study found that the nursing in the operating room has changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that nurses have experienced many positive/negative impacts, and that they have gained many benefits from the pandemic through various coping methods.