Exploring the Impacts of Caring for Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients on Nurses: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

Abstract

Background: The impacts of caring for hospitalized COVID-19 patients on nurses are wide and varied and have not been comprehensively explained in the existing literature. The aim of this study was to explore the nurses’ perception of the impacts of caring for hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: In this qualitative descriptive study, data were collected via semi-structured interviews with 20 nurses and head nurses of emergency/internal wards and Intensive Care Units (ICUs) of 2 hospitals in Tehran, Iran. The purposive sampling method was used, and data analysis was performed using a conventional content analysis approach. Results: After data analysis, 12 subcategories, 3 main categories, and 1 theme (professional resilience) were extracted. The three main categories included “complex care,” “professional development,” and “caring self-efficacy.” Caring for hospitalized COVID-19 patients was complex for nurses; however, the care provided to these patients could also lead to the nurses’ professional development and caring self-efficacy. Conclusions: Health organizations and nursing managers can better manage the COVID-19 pandemic and other similar future crises through strategies such as providing nurses with adequate and diverse resources and facilities, encouraging and supporting nurses in various dimensions, providing positive media advertisements for the nursing profession and nurses, and providing nurses with necessary and applicable knowledge and skills.