Compassionate Nursing Care for COVID-19 Patients in the ICU in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia: A Lived Experience Study

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The rapid spread and the severity of symptoms of COVID-19 led to an increasing number of critical cases that need to be admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) worldwide. Compassion is a principle of nursing practice and indicates the meaning of providing high-quality care in all units, especially in the ICU. It means that nurses know what is important to patients and when they should be there for them when it is needed. There is a paucity of literature from Saudi Arabia that explores how critical care nurses perceive compassionate care during COVID-19. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the lived experiences of critical care nurses providing compassionate care to COVID-19 patients at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A prospective, cross-sectional, descriptive phenomenological approach was utilized in this study. Data were collected from 13 ICU nurses through interviews. Collected data were transcribed and analyzed using Colaizzi's data analysis method. RESULTS:  Eleven out of the 13 ICU nurses hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and have more than five years of experience. Despite all the challenges surrounding the care for critically ill COVID-19 patients, nurses provide compassion in different ways to show personal interest to the patients. Data analysis revealed five themes: (1) contemporary meaning and competencies for compassionate nursing care, including communication and the inability to freely use touch; (2) physical symptoms, including discomfort, body aches and headaches, and sleep disturbances; (3) emotional turmoil, where three sub-themes emerged, including fear and anxiety, uncertainty, and isolation and loneliness; (4) role changing, including frequent guidelines change, additional roles and responsibilities, and altruism; (5) professionalism, including cultural facets of care, teamwork, and support. DISCUSSION: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major changes in nurses' working environment and so their experience. The results of this study indicated that nurses working in the ICU experienced remarkable and massive physical, psychological, and emotional symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. The nurses extended the relationships to the patients' families as they are at high risk of stress, anxiety, and depression. In addition, they were able to support them in dealing with the fear associated with the uncertainty of COVID-19. Also, results revealed that remote therapeutic relationships and psychotherapy can be credible and trustworthy alternatives to in-person care. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicated that ICU nurses provide compassionate care despite experiencing unprecedented and immense physical, psychological, and emotional symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. RECOMMENDATIONS: Further study is recommended using other research methodologies. It is also recommended to conduct the same study in different cities for better generalization.