I Am a Nurse, Not a Martyr: Qualitative Investigation of Nurses’ Experiences During Onset of the Coronavirus Pandemic

Abstract

Nurses have always played an essential role during epidemics, risking their lives caring for sick and dying patients. However, the unprecedented nature of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has left organizations and healthcare professionals ill-prepared and under-equipped to manage the severity, manifestations, and acute and long-term implications. While COVID-19 has presented profound physical and mental health implications for nurses, we know little about nurses’ professional experiences within their organizational context. Thus, this qualitative descriptive study fills that gap through in-depth exploration of nurses’ shared professional experiences working in hospitals during the first surge of COVID-19 in the United States. Twenty-two nurses were interviewed via telephone during April and May 2020. Through thematic analysis four main themes emerged: (1) fear, (2) collective resilience through shared trauma, (3) uncharted territory, and (4) perceived disposability. Nurses felt ill-praepared for the rapid changes wrought by COVID-19; yet they also felt proud with a renewed sense of meaning in their work. While unit colleagues were a great source of strength, nurses still reported disappointment, even feeling abandoned by their organizations. Our study indicates that nurses relied on one another to cope and find meaning. These findings are invaluable for policy development and the establishment of preventive and early intervention strategies. Done right, such efforts could better support nurses by encouraging team building, protection, and rewards to maintain nurses’ wellbeing during such outbreaks and in their aftermath. Organizations also ought to make nurses’ health and wellbeing a priority by streamlining communication, transparency, and leadership visibility.

A qualitative exploration of the National Academy of medicine model of well‐being and resilience among healthcare workers during COVID‐19

“…These studies, conducted in diverse global settings, are consistent with our findings, that demonstrate the critical relationship of the work environment to the well‐being and resilience of clinicians, including insufficient equipment (e.g. PPE), lack of standardized guidelines, increased workload, limited organizational support and overall worker burnout and exhaustion (Arnetz et al, 2020 ; Joo & Liu, 2021 ; Jun & Rosemberg, 2021 ; Koontalay et al, 2021 ). These findings are also consistent with quantitative studies conducted during the pandemic, which reveal perceptions of higher nurse‐to‐patient ratios (Bruyneel et al, 2021 ), perceptions of increased workload (Galanis et al, 2021 ; Munn et al, 2021 ) and perceptions of inadequate PPE or other material supplies (Galanis et al, 2021 ; Munn et al, 2021 ) are associated with significantly higher levels of burnout or at‐risk well‐being.…”

“…Being redeployed to an area that I have not practiced in my 14-year nursing career is very stressful and (Brigham et al, 2018;Munn et al, 2021;Schlak et al, 2021;Shah et al, 2021;World Health Organization, 2019). burnout and exhaustion (Arnetz et al, 2020;Joo & Liu, 2021;Jun & Rosemberg, 2021;Koontalay et al, 2021). These findings are also consistent with quantitative studies conducted during the pandemic, which reveal perceptions of higher nurse-to-patient ratios (Bruyneel et al, 2021), perceptions of increased workload (Galanis et al, 2021;Munn et al, 2021) and perceptions of inadequate PPE or other material supplies (Galanis et al, 2021;Munn et al, 2021) are associated with significantly higher levels of burnout or at-risk well-being.…”

In it together?: Exploring solidarity with frontline workers in the United Kingdom and Ireland during COVID‐19

“…Our participants spoke of needing to set aside ideological differences in order to focus on this emergent threat, and the comfort they found in the overt displays of solidaristic behaviour and sentiment from the public during those early days. Other research with health care workers has identified similar themes, with the recognition of workers that they may be a carrier of COVID‐19 (and therefore, a vector for spread), and a recognition to act with solidarity with broader society in facing the virus (Jun & Rosemberg, 2022 ; Liu et al, 2020 ; Rodríguez‐Rey et al, 2020 ).…”

Evaluation of nurses' experiences with digital storytelling workshop: New way to engage, connect, and empower

“…The importance of humanity has never been greater than during COVID‐19. Numerous studies highlighted that nurses relied on the support of their peers and colleagues as coping strategies (Fernandez et al, 2020; Jun & Rosemberg, 2021).…”