“A QUALITATIVE STUDY: THE EXPERIENCES OF COVID UNIT NURSES CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH COVID 19 DURING THE 2020-21 PANDEMIC.”

Author Name: 1. Mr Sudip Das 2. Miss Parmita Deb

Volume/Issue: 03/04

Country: India

DOI NO.: 08.2020-25662434 DOI Link: https://www.doi-ds.org/doilink/10.2022-17917343/UIJIR

Affiliation:

1. Department of Medical Surgical Nursing,PhD Scholar PU Gujrat, Assistant Professor GitaRam, College of Nursing, Murshidabad, West Bengal, India
2. Department of Community Health Nursing,PhD Scholar PU Gujrat, Assistant Professor GitaRam College of Nursing, Murshidabad, West Bengal, India

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to examine the experiences of Covid unit nurses caring for Covid19 patients during 2020-21 pandemic. COVID-19 placed nurses at the forefront of battling this pandemic in the Covid Care Unit. Emerging international evidence suggests nurses experience psychological and physical symptoms as a result of caring for these patients. A qualitative descriptive design was used using purposive sampling, 7 nurses from Covid Care Unit participated in semi-structured interviews. Interviews were recorded and coded; data were analyzed using content analysis. An audit trail was maintained and member checking was employed. The experiences among the nurses caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were categorized into five themes and subthemes. Emotions experienced was subcategorized into anxiety/stress, fear, helplessness, worry, and empathy. Physical symptoms was subcategorized into sleep disturbances, headaches, discomfort, exhaustion, and breathlessness. Care environment challenges was subcategorized into nurse as surrogate, inability to provide human comforting connection, patients dying, personal protective equipment (PPE), isolation, care delay, changing practice guidelines, and language barrier. Social effects were subcategorized into stigma, divergent healthcare hero perception, additional responsibilities, strained interactions with others, and isolation/loneliness. Short term coping strategies was subcategorized into co-worker support, family support, distractions, mind/body wellness, and spiritualty/faith. Covid unit nurses are experiencing intense psychological and physical effects as a result of caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in a challenging care environment. Outside of work, nurses faced pandemic induced societal changes and divergent public perceptions of them.

Key words: Covid unit nurses, Covid19, Pandemic