Exploring nurses' perception of taking care of patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19): A qualitative study.
Nasrin Galehdar, Tahereh Toulabi, Aziz Kamran and 1 others
PMID 33318825WHAT IT FOUND
Nurses described a gradual erosion of care caused by the physical strain of protective equipment, fear of infecting family members, and high workloads.
They reported feeling unable to provide comfort to dying patients and noted that rushing to minimize contact lowered the quality of care.
Key findings
01Wearing protective equipment restricted mobility and caused physical distress, preventing nurses from eating, drinking, or resting during 12-hour shifts.
02Fear of transmitting the virus to family members caused nurses to separate from their children and feel intense guilt.
03Nurses felt helpless when they could not alleviate the suffering of patients dying from respiratory distress.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study used telephone interviews, which may have prevented a deeper understanding of the phenomenon compared to face-to-face interactions. Data collection was conducted quickly due to the emergency nature of the pandemic, which limited the time available for validating data trustworthiness. The participants were from a single province in Iran, which may limit the transferability of the findings to other healthcare systems or cultures.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the nurses' reports of professional growth and pride as evidence that the working conditions were acceptable or that the quality of care was maintained. The study explicitly links the physical and emotional strain to a 'gradual disintegration and erosion of the caring of patients' and a decrease in care quality.