Background One of the important indices for the efficacy of pre-hospital emergency services is telephone triage. The dispatching team members are faced with many challenges in telephone triage which can adversely affect their performance. This study was conducted in the south of Iran to determine the challenges to telephone triage in pre-hospital emergency services. Method The present study is qualitative-descriptive where the sample was selected purposefully. Data were collected through 18 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 18 dispatching team members in pre-hospital emergency care. The collected qualitative data were analyzed using the content analysis approach recommended by Graneheim and Lundman. Results Analysis of the data resulted in the emergence of three themes and ten sub-themes. The three main themes extracted from the data included inefficient interaction, insufficient and unreal information, and professional challenges. Conclusion The dispatching unit personnel in pre-hospital emergency care are confronted with various interactional, organizational, and professional issues. Accordingly, the senior managers in emergency departments should take effective measures to remove the existing barriers toward improving the efficacy of telephone triage and, by extension, the quality of pre-hospital emergency care services.

Aim Inefficient management is one of the major barriers to development of in‐home care in the society. Accordingly, the present study aims to identify the barriers to efficient management of home care nursing using a qualitative approach. Design The present study is a qualitative‐descriptive work of research. Method Data were collected using semi‐structured, in‐depth, individual interviews with 19 nurses from November 2020 to May 2021. The collected data were analysed using Graneheim and Lundman's method. Results The findings of the study were categorized into four main themes, namely lack of effective standards, ineffective interactions, inappropriate cultural/social context and professional issues, and 15 subthemes. Conclusion In‐home care nurses in Iran experience various problems in their practice. Creating an appropriate cultural/social context in Iranian societies, providing the necessary infrastructure, including insurance, providing comprehensive, clear guidelines for in‐home care, encouraging teamwork and organizing workshops to promote effective interactions between the personnel and patients can improve the quality of in‐home care nursing.

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Pregnant women are one of the vulnerable groups against COVID-19. Understanding the affected population characteristics helps to identify risk factors and set more effective treatment goals; in this regard, the present study tries to review demographic characteristics, clinical signs, radiological and laboratory findings in pregnant women with COVID-19 in southern Iran.Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 30 pregnant women with COVID-19 who were selected from teaching hospitals in Fasa, Jahrom, and Shiraz in Fars province. Sampling was done through the convenience method from March to July 2020. A researcher-made checklist was applied to gather the required data which were analyzed using SPSS 22 software and descriptive statistics. Results:The mean age of patients was 28.30±9.96 years. Of patients, 60% were in the first trimester of pregnancy. The average length of stay in a hospital was 8.47±4.37 days. Fever (46/66 %) was the most common clinical finding, increased C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (50%) was the most common laboratory finding, and Ground Glossy Opacity (GGO) (56/66 %) was the most common radiological finding in both lungs. Of pregnant women, 80% with COVID-19 had an underlying disease. The most common underlying diseases were 36.66% for asthma and 20% for diabetes. Of normal deliveries, 53.33% and 3.33% of neonatal and maternal deaths were reported. Conclusion:The most common time for COVID-19 in pregnant women was reported in the first trimester of pregnancy with clinical signs of fever and a history of asthma and diabetes. Therefore, the findings of this study highlight the importance of paying attention to pregnant women as one of the most at-risk groups in the COVID-19 pandemic. Health policy makers can use the findings of this study and the reported outcomes to develop appropriate health protocols for health care of pregnant women in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background and aims: Emerging infectious diseases, such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), are among the most serious occupational hazards for healthcare providers. The aim of the present study was to assess anxiety level among nursing staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in 2020. Participants were 510 nursing staff selected through a census from Valiasr teaching hospital, Fasa, Iran. Data were collected via a demographic questionnaire and a researcher-made COVID-19 anxiety questionnaire and were analyzed using the SPSS software (v. 22.0) through the chi square and ANOVA test. Results: The total mean score of anxiety among participants was 93.10±7.06 and had significant relationship with participants’ age, work experience, affiliated ward, and educational level (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Nursing staff suffer from high levels of anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare authorities and managers need to employ strategies to psychologically support and empower nursing staff, improve their stress management skills, ensure their occupational safety, and improve their knowledge about COVID-19.