Role of nurses in a field hospital aimed at patients with Covid-19

Abstract

Objective: To understand the role of nurses in field hospitals aimed at patients with Covid-19. Methods: Qualitative research based on Alfred Schütz’s social phenomenology. Twenty nurses working in São Paulo were interviewed between May and June 2020. The testimonies were organized and analyzed based on the theoretical-methodological and thematic framework. Results: The following categories emerged: “Nurses’ challenges in field hospital care”, “Visibility of nursing in the Covid-19 pandemic scenario” and “Covid-19 post-pandemic professional valorization”. Final considerations: The reflection on the results that emerged in this study may contribute to support improvements in training, working conditions and valuing nurses, considering the importance of this professional category in the scope of health services. New investigations may increase knowledge in the area, providing subsidies for professional role in this and other health situations that require nursing intensity and excellence.

Strategies, challenges and opportunities in the implementation of COVID-19 field hospitals: a scoping review

“…Six articles examined field hospitals’ difficulty to estimate patient numbers, which could have created an exponential spike in resource demand and difficult staffing arrangements 29 31 32. Due to imprecise patient admission procedures,2 19 35 staff and systems were stressed as the number of patients admitted daily rose and fewer patients were discharged 20 21. Three articles reported poor staff communication, especially when requiring assistance,23 29 while another documented poor patient–family communication 21…”

“…36 Nurses' vital contribution throughout the pandemic earned them social acclaim and improved their public image. 35 Field hospital implementation requires enough people, tight coordination, frequent communication, leadership and planning. 21 23 Bell et al 19 developed a standard staff mobilisation process to address personnel shortages.…”

Evaluation of Medical Staff Satisfaction for Workplace Architecture in Temporary COVID-19 Hospital: A Case Study in Gdańsk, Poland

“…This condition was caused mainly by the fear of disease, contact with the patients isolated from their families and care for their own families. As aggravating factors, nurses also distinguished the avalanche of duties, longterm fatigue and experiencing the death of patients [27][28][29]. In addition, nurses pointed to the physical overload related to the difficulty of working in protective clothing and the work overload due to staff shortages and equipment shortages.…”

Percepción de usuarios de servicios de salud sobre la visibilidad social de los profesionales de enfermería durante la pandemia de COVID-19

“…(8)(9) Además, otros estudios han puesto en claro la valoración del profesional de enfermería, al considerar la importancia de esta categoría profesional en el ámbito de los servicios de salud. (10)(11)(12) En este contexto, los profesionales de enfermería de todo el mundo han estado en la primera línea en el combate a la pandemia de COVID-19, demostrando su profesionalismo, compasión y valentía, muchas veces en precarias condiciones de trabajo al no contar con Enfermería: Cuidados Humanizados. 2022;12(1): e3122…”