Being a Nurse at the Ground Zero of Care in Turkey During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine the experiences of nurses working during the COVID-19 pandemic using a qualitative descriptive research design. The study sample, determined using the criterion sampling method, consisted of nine nurses who work in a COVID-19 clinic of a pandemic hospital. The data were collected through interviews. The data were analyzed using content analysis. COREQ reporting guidelines were used in the study. From the content analysis, five main themes emerged in the study: “nurses’ perceptions of the pandemic process”, “nurses’ feelings about the pandemic process”, “difficulties nurses experienced in caring for patients with COVID-19”, “professional achievements nurses gained while working in the COVID-19 clinic” and “nursing care practices and changes during the COVID-19 pandemic”. The results of the study showed that during the pandemic, nurses experienced both positive and negative feelings/thoughts, faced various difficulties as well as several professional gains while providing care, and witnessed the changing face of self-care and patient care.