Living the Covid-19 Pandemic as a Surgical Nurse: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

In this study, it is aimed to convey the experiences of surgical nurses during the epidemic. It is a descriptive qualitative study. The study group consisted of nurses working in the surgical services in Aydın. Before starting the research, ethical committee permission, institutional permissions, and verbal and written consent from the participants were obtained. Data were collected by in-depth interview method using nurse introduction form and semi-structured interview form. Eight main themes were identified in the study. These; physical, mental and social problems, family processes, inter-team communication and cooperation, nurses' suggestions, view of the profession, and unforgettable experiences. According to the results; they experienced fatigue, headache and nausea due to the use of personal protective equipment related to their physical health problem experiences; they experienced fear and anxiety of carrying the disease to their relatives about their experiences of mental health problems; stated that they isolate themselves from the society knowingly/willingly about their social problem experiences. They avoid meeting with their families about their family processes on the grounds of 'protecting them from themselves'; that they remained 'alone' in the field as a 'nurse group' regarding their inter-team communication and cooperation experiences; that financial and moral support should be provided by institutions during the pandemic; that their job satisfaction about their view of the profession has increased and they can say 'I'm glad I'm a nurse'; He expressed the meaning of being a “healthcare staff who gives hope” to patients about experiences they cannot forget.