Views and Experiences of Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Coronavirus pandemic showed that the number of nurses and the management of personal protective equipment (PPE) posed challenges in meeting the increased demand worldwide. The aim of this study was to deter-mine the experiences and views of the nurses on the management of the nurse workforce and materials/equipment in providing nursing care during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Methods: Qualitative design was used in this study. A phenomenological approach was followed to collect data by administering focus group interviews in February 2021. The views of 37 nurses working in hospitals in seven geo-graphic regions of Türkiye were obtained. Interview data were analyzed using content analysis.

Results: The views and experiences of the participants were grouped under five themes, summarizing seven subthemes and 22 open codes. The results of the study indicated that “not having/accessing PPE to protect nurses and patients from infection contamination” and “working with protective equipment for long hours” were the most frequently witnessed problems. In addition, participants reported that they were not understood by health care managers and felt lonely.

Discussion and Conclusion: Nurses have been fighting at the forefront of this disaster. However, in recognition of how sacred and valuable life is, nurses fighting against coronavirus should not be left alone and must be supported by health care managers and decision-makers.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; Nursing; Qualitative research