Changes in Nurses’ Sense of Calling During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

This study investigated changes in nurses’ sense of calling during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as possible reasons for these changes. A total of 440 nurses in Turkey responded to a single open-ended question about their work attitudes and experiences. Emergent Qualitative Document Analysis (QDA) was used to analyze the responses. Results demonstrated that nurses experienced both positive and negative changes to their sense of calling, sometimes simultaneously. The most frequently cited reasons for positive changes were nurses’ perceived job significance, their desire to serve humanity, and a sense of meaningful work. In contrast, terms describing their reasons for experiencing negative changes include exhaustion, underpaid, unappreciated, overwork, disengagement, risky, stress, and anxiety. This study provides the first evidence on how a sense of calling experienced by Turkish nurses has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Implications for theory, research, and practice are explored.