Resilience of frontline nurses during COVID pandemic in China: A qualitative study.

Huang, Feifei; Lin, Meilian; Sun, Wenxiu; Zhang, Lin; Lu, Hongzhou; Chen, Wei-Ti

The aim of this study was to describe the resilience of nurses who cared for patients with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis, as well as factors that potentially contributed to that resilience. A total of 23 frontline nurses who cared for patients with COVID-19 were recruited from a COVID-19-designated facility in Shanghai, China, using purposive sampling strategies. In-depth interviews were conducted from March to May 2020. Qualitative data were transcribed verbatim and content analysis was used. Nurses exhibited psychological resilience while caring for patients with COVID-19. They displayed an ability to bounce back from negative mental experiences and transform to a positive mindset to cope with the stress they faced. Factors that enhanced their resilience during the pandemic were: becoming familiar with infectious disease protocols, having a sense of professional achievement, social support, having trust in the infection-control response team in the hospital, and self-regulation. This study could guide the design of future resilience-enhancing interventions that provide positive coping strategies for nurses caring for individuals with infectious diseases during a pandemic.