Experiences of Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Study

Abstract

Background: The first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 was a global event for which nurses had limited time to prepare before receiving an influx of high-Acuity patients and navigating new plans of care. Objectives: To understand nurses lived experiences during the COVID-19 outbreak and to examine their resiliency. Methods: A convergent mixed methods design was applied in this study. For the quantitative portion, resiliency was measured by using the Brief Resilience Coping Scale. Colaizzi s phenomenological method was used for qualitative analysis. Results: A total of 43 nurses participated in the study. The mean score on the Brief Resilience Coping Scale was 14.4. From 21 robust narratives, Colaizzi s qualitative method yielded 5 themes to describe the experience of being a nurse during the pandemic. Conclusions: Understanding the lived experience provides a unique lens through which to view nursing during a global pandemic, and it serves as a starting point to ensure future safeguards are in place to protect nurses well-being.