Instructive Messages and Lessons From Chinese Countermarching Nurses of Caring for COVID-19 Patients: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Introduction: The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on January 31, 2020. China was the first country to experience the challenges of controlling COVID-19. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of Chinese nurses who countermarched to the outbreak city for medical support in the very first period of this global infection. Methodology: A qualitative study of phenomenological research design was used to describe the experiences of 10 Chinese nurses. Data were collected in February 2020 through in-depth interviews and analyzed by conventional content analysis methods. Results: Chinese nurses experienced different psychological stages, work pressure, and challenges. New concepts of nursing also emerged during their clinical care for COVID-19 patients. Discussion: The guidance synthesized from the Chinese nurse stories could give specific direction for a well-prepared global nursing workforce and high-quality patient care in the present and future epidemics. The worries about discrimination of COVID-19 patients’ needs to be addressed culturally and emotionally as a priority by health care workers when they care for COVID-19 patients.