Aim The aim of this study was to conduct a primary examination of the qualitative communication experiences of nurses during the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic in the United States. Background Ambiguity in ever‐evolving knowledge on how to provide care during COVID‐19. Remaining safe has created a sense of urgency, which has in turn created the need for organizations to quickly alter their operational plans and protocols to support measures that increase capacity and establish a culture of safe care and clear communication. However, no known study has described communication in nursing practice during COVID‐19. Methods Utilizing qualitative descriptive methodology, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 100 nurse participants from May to September 2020 and recorded for thematic analysis. The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative studies (COREQ), a 32‐item checklist, were used to ensure detailed and comprehensive reporting of this qualitative study protocol. Findings Study participants shared descriptions of how effective communication positively impacted patient care and nursing practice experiences during the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic. The thematic network analyses identified the importance of effective communication across three levels: (1) organizational leadership, (2) unit leadership and (3) nurse‐to‐nurse communication. Within this structure, three organizing themes, essential to effective communication, were described including (a) presence, (b) education and (c) emotional support. Conclusion Examining existing crisis communication policies and procedures across healthcare organizations is imperative to maintain highly relevant, innovative, and data‐driven policies and strategies that are fundamental to preserving quality patient care and supporting optimal nursing practice. Implications for Nursing Policy and Health Policy Effective communication is critical to support nurses through extended periods of crisis. COVID‐19 represents a unique contemporary challenge to the nursing workforce given the high stress and prolonged strain it has created for both human and healthcare supply resources. There is value in nurses’ presence at local, unit level and organizational leadership levels to convey critical information that directly informs leadership decision‐making during unprecedented emergencies such as the COVID‐19 pandemic.

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Introduction The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic represents the largest contemporary challenge to the nursing workforce in the 21st century given the high stress and prolonged strain it has created for both human and healthcare supply resources. Nurses on the frontlines providing patient care during COVID-19 have faced unrivaled psychological and physical demands. However, no known large-scale qualitative study has described the emotions experienced by nurses providing patient care during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US. Objective: Therefore, the purpose of this study was to qualitatively describe the emotions experienced by US nurses during the initial COVID-19 pandemic response. Methods One hundred individual interviews were conducted with nurses across the United States from May to September of 2020 asking participants to describe how they felt taking care of COVID-19 patients. All interviews followed a semi-structured interview guide, were audio recorded, transcribed, verified, and coded by the research team. Results Participants narratives of the emotions they experienced providing patient care during COVID-19 unequivocally described (1) moral distress, and moral distress related (1.1) fear, (1.2) frustration, (1.3) powerlessness, and (1.4) guilt. In sum, the major emotional response of nurses across the US providing patient care during the pandemic was that of moral distress. Conclusion Investments in healthcare infrastructures that address moral distress in nurses may improve retention and reduce burnout in the US nursing workforce.

Background: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act increased numbers of insured individuals and demands for health care cost reductions. A national call for nursing education to focus on health promotion activities exists. Nurse educators can address this shift in health care by including motivational interviewing (MI), a health promotion technique, in the curriculum. Method: This exploratory descriptive pilot survey examined postlicensure nursing students' perceptions and self-reported behaviors following an online synchronous telehealth simulation-based experience in which they practiced MI. Results: The survey yielded a 45% ( n = 10) response rate. All participants agreed the experience was beneficial to their learning and provided insights on a new clinical practice environment. Eighty percent of participants would have liked to have learned MI in their prelicensure program, and 50% of participants have integrated it in their current practice. Conclusion: This tele-health simulation-based experience positively affected the learning and behaviors of postlicensure nursing students. [ J Nurs Educ . 2019;58(4):221–224.]