Experiences of nurses caring for patients with COVID-19 in Turkey: A phenomenological enquiry.

Muz, Gamze; Erdoğan Yüce, Gülyeter

AIMS This study aims to reveal the experiences of nurses who care for COVID-19 patients during this process. BACKGROUND Nurses actively carry out their duties with regard to infection control and critical patient care in the frontlines since the pandemic. METHODS A phenomenological qualitative design was followed throughout the study. The study involved 19 nurses. The data were analyzed through Colaizzi's seven-step method. RESULTS Five themes were identified after the interviews; first meeting and getting caught unprepared, social isolation and loneliness, dilemma and conflict in professional roles, nursing: power born from difficulties, organizational expectations. Also, eleven subthemes were identified. CONCLUSIONS The study showed the main findings regarding the experiences of the nurses' in crisis instances. Although nurses felt stronger professionally, they needed the cooperation and psychosocial support of the community and healthcare team members. Nurses had expectations for the development of personal and social rights. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT It is thought that these results can act as a guide to understand the problems and needs of nurses as healthcare providers and to engender solutions so that a safe and reliable healthcare system that can effectively respond to future global disasters can be established.