Purpose From its beginnings in China in December of 2019, the novel coronavirus COVID‐19 spread and quickly became the center of nursing care and conversation across the globe (WHO, 2020). This meta‐ethnographic study was conducted in order to provide the profession of nursing interpretative explanations of a common experience during the care of patients with COVID‐19. Design and method A literature review focused on the experience of the nurse during the COVID‐19 pandemic revealed a total of 13 qualitative studies conducted in China, Spain, Turkey, Iran, Brazil, and the United States. A meta‐ethnographic review of these qualitative works, using the method of Noblit and Hare, was then conducted which revealed the experience of the nurse across the globe during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Findings The review revealed strong similarities between the experiences of the nurse across the 13 studies. Given this reciprocal relationship, translations were constructed and synthesized until four new themes emerged outlining the global experience of the nurse during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Conclusions Despite the differences between the structures of healthcare and government of the six countries represented in this meta‐ethnography, the experience of the nurse emerged into a narrative shared by those represented in this study. As the profession of nursing continues to work through ongoing waves of COVID‐19, these results will help guide the resources and training provided to nurses on the frontline of care. Clinical relevance Despite great personal risk, nurses across the globe stepped up to the challenge of upholding and improving the health of the world's people during the COVID‐19 pandemic. As health policy, education, and system leaders, we must listen to the common experience revealed in this meta‐synthesis and respond by providing the resources needed to improve nursing practice and care.

Health care transformation is guided by the triple aim of improving health, enhancing the patient experience, and reducing costs. Experts have recommended the addition of a fourth aim, improving the experience of providing care. They advise that achievement of the triple aim will only be possible if we create the conditions where health care workers can find meaning and joy in their work. Nurses' experiences with meaning and joy in their practice have not been well described. In an effort to fill this knowledge gap, nurses across the nation recently participated in a qualitative study to share their experiences with meaning and joy in their nursing practice. The study utilized a narrative inquiry approach with a lens of appreciation to elicit and interpret nurses' stories. The stories, recorded and archived in StoryCorps, provided rich insight into meaning and joy in nursing practice. The study captured contemporary themes that crossed practice settings and generations across the United States. Four themes emerged from the analysis, including: fulfilling purpose-"I am a nurse"; meaningful connection; impact-the wow factor; and the practice environment. The practice environment theme included 3 subthemes: teams work, leaders model the way, and opportunities to learn and grow. The themes are described and illustrated with participant quotes. The study findings build on published evidence related to meaning in nursing practice and our conceptual understanding of joy. Results align with recommendations for defining and focusing on the fourth aim: To improve the practice experiences of nurses so they can more fully contribute to achieving both the triple aim in health care and their own well-being. Specific implications for leaders and supportive practice environments are discussed.