Frontline Nurses Experiences of the Covid-19 Pandemic - A Qualitative Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had unquestionably caused a massive crisis worldwide. This pandemic had obstructed nearly all aspects of the population’s lives and widely affected healthcare institutions, especially nurses, who are the frontline fighters of the pandemic. Their presence and duties are crucial in controlling the pandemic. Therefore, the study was done to explore the experiences of nurses in delivering healthcare throughout the pandemic and the objectives of this research were to a) explore the experience of frontline nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, and b) to understand how COVID-19 had affected frontline nurses. METHODS This study is a qualitative study reviewed and approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Taif University, Saudi Arabia, under the application code: 42 - 174. The total number of participants were twenty-four nurses from King Faisal Medical Complex, Taif city, Saudi Arabia. The study conducted semi-structured interviews and the data was obtained via face time. The average time of the interview was between 40 and 60 minutes. RESULTS The results indicated two major themes. First, the negative effects of COVID-19 on nurses, which included fear of infection and transmission of the disease, challenging working conditions and a change in social lifestyle. The second theme is the positive impact of the Covid pandemic on nurses, which included increased awareness of the role of nursing in society, an increase in nurses' self-confidence and the strength of support from nursing directors. CONCLUSIONS COVID-19 has had an impact on nurses, both physically and mentally. They have struggled with factors surrounding their occupation and personal lives. It is well established that this pandemic has had more drawbacks than favourable outcomes with regard to nurses. Nevertheless, the funding and development that nurses obtained have improved their professional skills, experience and acceptance of future potential outbreaks. KEY WORDS Nurses Experience of COVID-19, A Qualitative Study, Saudi Arabia.