Nurses' psychological changes and coping strategies during home isolation for the 2019 novel coronavirus in China: A qualitative study

Factors associated with the worsening of COVID-19 symptoms among cohorts in community- or home-isolation care in southern Thailand

Introduction

This study aimed to investigate factors associated with time-to-referral due to worsening symptoms in patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in southern Thailand. While underlying diseases have been evaluated to assess COVID-19 severity, the influence of vaccinations and treatments is also crucial.

Methods

A cohort of 8,638 patients quarantined in home or community isolation with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 was analyzed. Survival analysis and the Cox proportional hazard ratio were employed to assess factors influencing time-toreferral.

Results

Age ≥ 60 years, neurologic disorders, cardiovascular disease, and human immunodeficiency virus infection were identified as significant risk factors for severe COVID-19 referral. Patients who received full- or booster-dose vaccinations had a lower risk of experiencing severe symptoms compared to unvaccinated patients. Notably, individuals vaccinated during the Omicron-dominant period had a substantially lower time-to-referral than those unvaccinated during the Delta-dominant period. Moreover, patients vaccinated between 1 and 6 months prior to infection had a significantly lower risk of time-to-referral than the reference group.

Discussion

These findings demonstrate early intervention in high-risk COVID-19 patients and the importance of vaccination efficacy to reduce symptom severity. The study provides valuable insights for guiding future epidemic management strategies and optimising patient care during infectious disease outbreaks.

The impact of nurses' experiences of hospital violence on resilience: A mediated moderation model

AIMS

This study aims to investigate the impact of nurses' experiences of hospital violence on resilience, the mediating effect of trust in patients and the moderating effect of organizational trust.

BACKGROUND

Despite belonging to the central part of health care worldwide and being the leading provider of medical services, nurses are often subjected to hospital violence, which affects their physical and mental well-being. Trust is a high-order mechanism that encourages positive thinking and personal and professional development. However, research into the impact of trust on resilience concerning nurses' experiences of hospital violence is limited.

METHODS

The participants were 2331 nurses working in general hospitals in China. A cross-sectional survey was conducted, and data were collected via questionnaires from July to October 2022 and analysed using SPSS 25.0 and SPSS PROCESS 3.3 macros. This study was prepared and reported according to the STROBE checklist.

RESULTS

Mean trust in patients was 48.00 ± 10.86 (12-60), mean organizational trust was 56.19 ± 8.90 (13-65) and mean resilience was 78.63 ± 19.26 (0-100). Nurses' experience of hospital violence had a direct negative effect on resilience (β = -.096, p = .871), a significant adverse effect on trust in patients (β = -3.022, p < .001) and a significant positive effect on trust in patients on resilience (β = 1.464, p < .001). Trusting patients played a mediating role. The significant moderating effect of organizational trust between experience of hospital violence and trust in patients was moderated by a mediating effect index of -0.1867 (95% CI = [-0.3408, -0.0345]).

CONCLUSIONS

Nurses' experience of hospital violence exerted a negative effect on resilience, trust in patients had a fully mediated effect and organizational trust had a significant moderating influence in the pathway from nurses' experience of hospital violence to patients' trust-mediated resilience.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY

This study highlights the impact of nurses' experiences of hospital violence on resilience and explores the importance of trust from the nurses' perspective. Measures taken by managers to provide nurses with a safe, trusting and positive work environment can be highly beneficial in enhancing nurse resilience.

"Patient dignity can be ensured by providing adequate health care": A phenomenological analysis on survival strategies of military nurses

Background

The devastating COVID-19 outbreak has considerably influenced basic human healthcare needs. Due to healthcare organizational limitations, workload, and a shortage of healthcare professionals, particularly military nurses in developing countries, faced critical situations in dealing with COVID-19 patients. However, little is known about the survival strategies military nurses used while caring for coronavirus-infected patients.

Aims

This study aimed to investigate the survival strategies that inspired military nurses to manage COVID-19 patients in Bangladesh.

Methods

This study employed the phenomenology of practice framework developed by Max van Manen. Fourteen military nurses were purposefully selected to participate in this study. Semi-structured online interviews were conducted individually from January to February 2023 in three divisional (Dhaka, Chittagong, and Sylhet) COVID-19 dedicated military hospitals in Bangladesh. The study was reported using the COREQ checklist. Audio-video sessions of discussions were recorded, analyzed, and transcribed verbatim. Dataset analysis was performed using thematic analysis.

Results

Eight themes were developed: (i) Nurses' self-strategies; (ii) colleagues' strategies; (iii) Nurse managers' strategies; (iv) Feelings about nursing ethical values; (v) Employers' strategies; (vi) Government strategies; (vii) Family members' strategies; (viii) Strategies of social people.

Conclusions

The study's findings would inspire healthcare professionals to use various survival strategies when facing critical clinical situations. Additionally, this study encourages nurses to develop survival skills to avoid depression, fear, and anxiety and to learn how to deal with work-related stress situations.

The impact of psychological distress, socio-demographic and work-related factors on coping strategies used by nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

AIM

This study aimed to determine factors associated with coping strategies used by nursing staff during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

METHODS

A convenience sample of 365 nurses were selected from referral hospitals for COVID-19 patients in Tabriz, Iran between February 2022 and July 2022. An online self-administered questionnaire was distributed through social media platforms, including WhatsApp and Instagram. The survey package included a modified Brief COPE scale, socio-demographic and work-related questions, and a measure of psychological distress. Multiple regression analysis examined associated factors with coping strategies in SPSS. The study adhered to the STROBE guidelines for reporting.

RESULTS

The mean age of participants was 31.2 (7.3) years old. Of the 365 participants, 209 (58.9%) used maladaptive coping strategies, and 214 (57.6%) reported experiencing psychological distress. Psychological distress was the strongest predictor of maladaptive coping strategies (β = 4.473, p < 0.001). Female nurses (β = 3.259, p < 0.05), nurses who were under 35 years of age (β = 3.214, p < 0.05), nurses with fewer than ten years of experience (β = 2.416, p < 0.001), those who worked in COVID-19 ICUs (β = 4.321, p < 0.001), floor nurses (β = 2.344, p < 0.001), and those who worked two or more years in COVID-19 settings (β = 3.293, p < 0.001) had higher mean scores in maladaptive coping strategies.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No patient or public contributions.

The Resilience of Pediatric Nurses in Context: A Mixed Methods Study

BACKGROUND

Resilience, an individual's ability to cope with and recover from stressors, is supported by contextually specific factors. Factors in the work environment may support or hinder nurses' resilience to the specific stressors present in pediatric nursing, an understudied population.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to explore the contextual factors in the work environment of pediatric nurses with varying levels of resilience, including social support, the work environment, and opportunities for coping from an individual approach.

METHODS

This study is a secondary mixed-methods analysis using ordinal logistic regression and a meta-matrix of survey responses and semi-structured interview transcripts from 30 pediatric nurses.

RESULTS

5 themes, 3 supporting and 2 hindering resilience, emerged from the interviews. Nurses described their resilience as supported by sharing the burden, support from administration, and taking a break. Participants described resilience as hindered when they found it challenging to provide quality nursing care and when they felt unappreciated or undervalued. No theme significantly changed the odds of having higher resilience.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that nurses recognize resources and conditions within their work environment as influencing their resilience. However, workplace resources and conditions are only one contributor to pediatric nurse resilience. Encouraging breaks and informal opportunities for nurses to support each other may support resilience in pediatric nurses. In addition, nursing leaders can support pediatric nurse resilience by regularly spending time connecting with nurses. Finally, health care organizations should consider how changes in the work environment may hinder nurse resilience by adding stress or changing access to supportive factors.

Bipolar Coping Strategies of Nurses in Facing the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Meta-synthesis Review

Nurses on the front line of facing the COVID-19 pandemic have applied many coping strategies to adapt to their experienced physical and psychosocial challenges. This review aimed to identify coping strategies of nurses in the face of Covid-19. In this meta-synthesis review, qualitative articles related to the coping strategies published in English in the Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and CINAHL databases were selected and analyzed. The review of selected articles showed nurses have used various coping strategies that can be categorized into one main theme, two themes, and ten sub-themes. The theme of efficient coping strategies includes the sub-themes of spiritual-religious coping, protective coping (protection of family members and colleagues), supportive coping by obtaining support from family, friends, colleagues, society, and government organizations, committed coping, positive mind coping, emotional coping, operational coping, and fun coping. The theme of inefficient coping strategies includes the sub-themes of avoidance and risky behaviors. The strategies lead to the synthesis of bipolar coping strategies of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, healthcare policymakers should emphasize using efficient strategies and avoiding inefficient ones.

Resilience of first-line nurses during adaptation to the COVID-19 pandemic: A grounded theory study

AIM

Nurses are a vital resource in providing care to COVID-19 patients. During adaptation to the pandemic, the mental health of nurses was disturbed. The present study aimed to explain the resilience development process and adaptive strategies of first-line nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

This study was conducted based on the grounded theory qualitative approach. Twenty-two Iranian first-line nurses, who were employed in one teaching hospital in Qazvin city, were included via purposive and theoretical sampling. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and were analyzed based on the Corbin and Strauss approach 2015.

RESULTS

The resilience development process of nurses had three stages including initial confrontation with changes, managing conditions and reorganizing, developing resilience. Professional commitment was identified as a core category that affected all stages of resilience development. Negative emotions, nurses' characteristics, and caring challenges were identified as contextual factors which affected the adaptation of nurses to the COVID-19 pandemic and the development of resilience.

CONCLUSION

Regarding the importance of professional commitment in the nurses' resilience development and not leaving the profession in the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to emphasize the ethical values and principles of the nursing profession in practice and especially in the education of nursing students. It is necessary to monitor mental health and provide professional psychological counseling by the healthcare systems; also, nursing managers should follow a supportive leadership style and consider first-line nurses' worries.

How are countries responding differently to COVID-19: a systematic review of guidelines on isolation measures

Introduction

Isolation strategies have been implemented in numerous countries worldwide during the ongoing community transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, various countries and organizations have implemented their isolation measures at varying intensities, even during the same period. Therefore, we systematically reviewed the key information contained in currently available guidelines regarding the isolation of the general population, aiming to better identify the heterogeneity of the current isolation strategies.

Methods

We conducted searches in four evidence-based medicine (EBM) databases and five guideline websites to identify guidelines, guidance, protocols, and policy documents published by authoritative advisory bodies or healthcare organizations, which provided information on the implementation of isolation for general populations with COVID-19. One author extracted data using a standardized data extraction checklist, and a second author double-checked all extractions for completeness and correctness. Discrepancies were resolved through discussion. The information extracted from the included articles was summarized both narratively and using tables.

Results

We included 15 articles that provided information on isolation measures recommended by nine different countries and organizations. The included articles consistently recommended isolating individuals with a positive COVID-19 test, regardless of the presence of symptoms. However, there were variations in the duration of isolation, and substantial differences also existed in the criteria for ending the isolation of COVID-19 patients.

Conclusion

Different countries and organizations have substantial differences in their isolation policies. This reminds us that scientifically sound guidelines on isolation that balance the risk of prematurely ending isolation with the burden of prolonged isolation are a crucial topic of discussion when faced with a pandemic.

"Suddenly Feeling Dark": A Qualitative Study on the Experiences of Nurses Facing Coworker Death During the COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND

The coworkers of nurses who died because of COVID-19 infection generally experience a highly emotional grieving process. Nurses grieving the loss of a coworker during the COVID-19 pandemic experience higher psychological stress because of their high workload and the grueling shifts required to manage health emergencies during the pandemic and cope with long-standing staffing shortages. The limited number of studies discussing this issue has resulted in insufficient evidence necessary to develop effective counseling strategies and psychological support for nurses in Indonesia dealing with the massive waves of COVID-19 cases.

PURPOSE

This study was designed to elucidate the experiences of nurses across four provinces in Indonesia who had experienced the loss of a colleague during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

A qualitative research design and phenomenological approach were used in this study. Sampling was done in Jakarta, Bali, East Java, and East Nusa Tenggara using purposive sampling for the first eight participants and snowball sampling for the subsequent 34 participants. Semistructured, in-depth interviews were used to collect data from 30 participants using appropriate ethical principles. Data saturation was achieved after interviewing 23 participants, and their data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Three main themes related to nurses' responses to the death of a colleague, distinguished into several stages, were identified. Stages in the first theme were as follows: (a) shocked to hear of colleague's death, (b) self-blame for failing to save a life, and (c) afraid to experience the same situation. Stages in the second theme were as follows: (a) make efforts to avoid the same thing from happening again, (b) develop strategies to avoid thoughts of loss, and (c) expect to have a psychological support system. Stages in the third theme were as follows: (a) seek new reasons, goals, directions, and meanings in life and (b) improve the physical and social health of individuals.

CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The range of responses from nurses to the death of a colleague during the COVID-19 pandemic identified in this study may be referenced by service providers to better provide psychological assistance and support to nursing staff. In addition, the coping strategies described by the participants provide detailed information that healthcare providers may use to deal with nurses facing death more comprehensively. This study emphasizes the importance of developing strategies to help nurses cope positively with their grief from a holistic perspective, which may be expected to impact positively the performance of nurses.

Experiences of nurses providing care for patients with COVID-19 in acute care settings in the early stages of the pandemic: A thematic meta-synthesis study

AIM

The aim of this work is to synthesize and interpret qualitative research examining the experiences of nurses providing care for patients with COVID-19 in acute care settings in the early stages of the pandemic in different countries.

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of disasters, including the pandemic, is increasing globally. It is important to understand nurses' experiences in depth to effectively manage extraordinary events that may occur in the future.

DESIGN

This is a thematic meta-synthesis study.

METHODS

Electronic databases, including CINAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed, Web of Science, OVID, and Scopus, were searched for publications from December 2019 to October 2020. The search was updated for publications to 30 May 2022. The thematic synthesis method was used to analyse and interpret the data.

FINDINGS

The experiences of the nurses giving care to patients with COVID-19 were grouped under four themes: (1) Difficulties encountered in the care of patients with COVID-19; (2) mixed emotions experienced in the care of patients with COVID-19; (3) coping strategies that nurses used in the management of the pandemic; (4) the benefits of the COVID-19 to nurses.

CONCLUSION

Nurses faced many difficulties and experienced mixed emotions while providing care for patients with coronavirus disease. Perceived social support was seen as the most important strategy for coping with these difficult situations. It is important to be aware of the difficulties and emotions experienced by nurses and support them during the COVID-19 pandemic for the management of future pandemics.

Risk perception of COVID-19 and its related factors among centralized medical isolation groups in China

Objective

Medical isolation is one of the most effective measures to slow the spread of the virus when dealing with a pandemic. Millions of people in China have undergone centralized medical isolation (CMI) during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to assess the centralized medical isolation group's COVID-19 risk perception and to explore the influencing factors.

Methods

A total of 400 participants (200 who had experienced CMI and 200 who had not experienced) completed a questionnaire related to COVID-19 risk perceptions. The questionnaire was designed with the Cognitive-Experiential Self-Theory (CEST) and the Common Sense Model of Risk Perception (CSM). It adopted nine questions to measure risk perception in terms of Emotional feelings, Cognitive judgment, and Mental representation of unusual severity. Descriptive statistical analysis, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis were conducted with SPSS 26.0 software.

Results

The mean risk perception score for the CMI group was 30.75, with a standard deviation of 7.503, which was significantly higher than that in the non-centralized medical isolation (NCMI) group (risk perception score was 28.2, and the standard deviation was 7.129). The results show that risk perceptions were higher for older age, risk perceptions were higher for higher education, risk perceptions were higher for those who had received the COVID-19 vaccination, and risk perceptions were higher for those who lived in a family with children.

Conclusion

Risk perception is significantly higher in CMI groups than in NCMI groups. The government should draw more care to the risk perception and psychological wellbeing of the CMI group and provide extra support and assistance to the elderly and those raising younger children. In dealing with future pandemics like the COVID-19 outbreak, the government should actively guide the public to properly isolate at home and cautiously implement a CMI policy.

Coping strategies adopted by frontline nurses in dealing with COVID-19 patients in a developing country during the pandemic: A qualitative study

AIM

This study aimed to explore the coping strategies adopted by frontline nurses in dealing with COVID-19 patients during the pandemic in Bangladesh.

DESIGN

A qualitative descriptive study.

METHODS

Purposive sampling was used to recruit seventeen frontline nurses from three COVID-19-specific hospitals in Dhaka City. In-depth online interviews and semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data through the Google Meet platform. Interview sessions audio-video were recorded, interpreted, analysed, verbatim transcribed and quotes of the participants were verified by member checking. Thematic analysis was used in this research. The study's reporting guidelines were based on the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research.

RESULTS

Seven themes were identified after careful data analysis: (i) A positive attitude in dealing with challenging situation, (ii) Intimate partner's influence, (iii) Self-emotional regulation, (iv) The tendency to avoid negativity, (v) Motivated by professional obligations, (vi) Religious influence, (vii) Recreational activities.

NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

This study explored various coping strategies employed by frontline nurses in caring for COVID-19 patients. No patient or public contribution was investigated.

Nurses' mental health and coping strategies throughout COVID-19 outbreak: A nationwide qualitative study

This qualitative exploratory study explored nurses' mental health and coping strategies working with suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients in Brunei Darussalam. Eleven focus group discussions were conducted between October 2020 and January 2021, involving 75 participants. Three themes emerged: 'COVID-19 roller-coaster transitional journey' explained the different psychological responses of the journey of the nurses from merely hearing about COVID-19 from far to the invasion of the virus and community outbreak in the country; 'Mind my mind and heart' share experiences of the nurses in terms of their mental health and emotional responses; and 'the psychosocial system' described the coping mechanisms of the nurses throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses' mental health and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic influenced how they provided care and performed other tasks, which should not be taken for granted. Nurses employed psychosocial coping methods at the different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic and support from family, friends, the public, and the governmental level. This research is fundamental as a basis for other countries to design psychological interventions during this yet unsettled COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19-A Qualitative Orthopaedic Nurse Perspective

In response to a March 2020, New York State mandate, our elective surgery center began a physical and operational transformation to provide inpatient care to COVID-19 patients. Research study aims included (1) a description of the orthopaedic nurses' experience during the pandemic, and (2) tactics used to cope with related stress. Researchers used a descriptive, qualitative design to achieve study aims. During April to December 2020, nine nurses responded to seven open-ended, study prompts asking them to journal their thoughts about the pandemic. The majority (66%) of participants were experienced nurses and all provided direct patient care. Nurses provided 51 journal entries that generated 12 themes, which encapsulated their experience living through the pandemic: (1) Whirlwind, (2) War, (3) Control, (4) Death and Dying, (5) Staying Safe, (6) Loss, (7) Looking for Meaning, (8) Whatever It Takes, (9) Adaptability and Resilience, (10) What I Have Learned, (11) The New Normal, and (12) When Will This Be Over? Orthopaedic nurses in this study pivoted to the needs of patients requiring them to draw on all their training and resources. Nurses described the enormity and taxing nature of the viral threat and their ability to manage their well-being while caring for patients and loved ones, amidst social distancing and need for aggressive infection control. Support from peers and leadership were paramount factors in nurse coping. Positive thinking and personal resilience were considered essential. Most participants described personal growth; however, decreased participation in journal responses overtime, suggested emotional strain. Future studies should examine nurses' observations about the impact of changes to their practice brought on by the pandemic, and reliance on technology.

Health care workers' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 has challenged health systems worldwide, especially the health workforce, a pillar crucial for health systems resilience. Therefore, strengthening health system resilience can be informed by analyzing health care workers' (HCWs) experiences and needs during pandemics. This review synthesizes qualitative studies published during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic to identify factors affecting HCWs' experiences and their support needs during the pandemic. This review was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews. A systematic search on PubMed was applied using controlled vocabularies. Only original studies presenting primary qualitative data were included.

RESULTS

161 papers that were published from the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic up until 28th March 2021 were included in the review. Findings were presented using the socio-ecological model as an analytical framework. At the individual level, the impact of the pandemic manifested on HCWs' well-being, daily routine, professional and personal identity. At the interpersonal level, HCWs' personal and professional relationships were identified as crucial. At the institutional level, decision-making processes, organizational aspects and availability of support emerged as important factors affecting HCWs' experiences. At community level, community morale, norms, and public knowledge were of importance. Finally, at policy level, governmental support and response measures shaped HCWs' experiences. The review identified a lack of studies which investigate other HCWs than doctors and nurses, HCWs in non-hospital settings, and HCWs in low- and lower middle income countries.

DISCUSSION

This review shows that the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged HCWs, with multiple contextual factors impacting their experiences and needs. To better understand HCWs' experiences, comparative investigations are needed which analyze differences across as well as within countries, including differences at institutional, community, interpersonal and individual levels. Similarly, interventions aimed at supporting HCWs prior to, during and after pandemics need to consider HCWs' circumstances.

CONCLUSIONS

Following a context-sensitive approach to empowering HCWs that accounts for the multitude of aspects which influence their experiences could contribute to building a sustainable health workforce and strengthening health systems for future pandemics.

A scoping review of COVID-19-related stress coping resources among nurses

Objective

The entire mental health hazard among the nurses dealing with COVID-19 is just the tip of the iceberg. The goal of this study was to find acceptable and adaptive coping techniques for nurses in order to keep the healthcare system resilient during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method

The scoping review search took place from January 2020 to May 2021 published articles, and the results were saved in Endnote software. For data synthesis and review, the Joanna Briggs Institute manual and PRISMA-ScR principles were followed. Following backward and forward screening to exclude redundant, irrelevant, and ineligible studies, 13 studies (3,613 nurses) were finally selected for this review.

Results

The majorities of participants in these studies were female and had children, and worked in departments of critical care, emergency, and fever clinics. Safety concerns for family or colleagues, as well as a lack of safe working environment, were the primary causes of the mental illness. Professional responsibility attitude, COVID-19 training, workplace safety, team spirit, and a few relaxation activities such as deep breathing, reading books, watching movies, and praying, on the other hand, were found to be beneficial for stress coping among nurses.

Conclusion

Mentally fit nurses are more capable and flexible in the face of any life-threatening outbreak, even if it is very contagious. Several coping strategies were found to be effective for nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, whereas problem-specific intervention trials might yield even better results. We should not delay specific mental health interventions to keep them viable and more efficient during a pandemic battlefield, whereas Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and suicide rates can destroy the entire health care system.

Experiences of nurses diagnosed with COVID-19 in Turkey: A qualitative study

AIMS

This study examined the experiences of nurses diagnosed with COVID-19 under the guidance of Meleis' Transitions Theory.

BACKGROUND

Nurses, who make up the majority of healthcare professionals, are struggling with COVID-19, a silent war, on the front lines at the cost of their lives. The pandemic has deeply affected nurses' lives, and hundreds of nurses around the world have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and died.

METHODS

A descriptive qualitative approach was used in this study. Data were collected from 18 nurses who experienced COVID-19 symptoms, with a semistructured interview form prepared based on Meleis' Transitions Theory concepts. Interview transcripts were analyzed using a thematic analysis technique. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist was used in the study.

RESULTS

The six themes that emerged in the data analysis were emotions experienced when nurses tested positive for COVID-19, emotions experienced during the quarantine process, posttraumatic growth, methods of coping with COVID-19, nursing care after COVID-19 treatment, and metaphors about COVID-19.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that being diagnosed with COVID-19 caused nurses to have both positive (posttraumatic growth, empathic and psychosocial nursing care) and negative experiences (fear of death, stigma, etc.). They tried to cope with adverse situations due to COVID-19 by obtaining social support, thinking positively, and engaging in domestic activities.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY

To reduce COVID-19-related physical and psychological symptoms, appropriate policies should be developed for effective and rapid nursing workforce planning, extending the time allocated for postdiagnosis treatment, updating infection control and prevention guides, training nurses, and providing ongoing psychosocial counseling services that nurses can access.

"Novice nurse and novel coronavirus"-experiences of novice nurses caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in Thailand

Aims

To explore the experiences of novice nurses caring for patients diagnosed with COVID‐19 in Thailand.

Design

A qualitative descriptive research.

Methods

The experiences of twelve novice nurses were explored through in‐depth interviews, telephone and video conferencing interviews. All interviews were recorded, verbatim transcribed and analysed by thematic content analysis.

Results

The findings fell into five main themes as follows: from novice nurses to nurse who care for COVID‐19 patients; various learning methods focused on providing care to COVID‐19 patients; work experiences and confrontations with COVID‐19; various feelings that arise when being a nurse caring for patients with COVID‐19; the power of novice nurse to bring along positive changes.

Conclusions

The study provides an understanding of novice nurses’ experiences when caring for COVID‐19 patients. It also highlights the stress, fear and anxiety of novice nurses during the pandemic and suggests novice nursing practice training systems to enhance their familiarity and confidence when dealing with situations during the pandemic. The novice nurses were found to demonstrate a large amount of self‐determination and possess several technological skills and innovative abilities to improve the nursing practice and quality of care.

Drivers and mediators of healthcare workers' anxiety in one of the most affected hospitals by COVID-19: a qualitative analysis

OBJECTIVE

To report the driving and mediating factors of healthcare workers' anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

DESIGN

Qualitative indepth interview study.

SETTING

The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.

PARTICIPANTS

53 healthcare workers who were or were not diagnosed with COVID-19.

RESULTS

During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers were initially not sufficiently psychologically prepared. Then they suffered from severe anxiety and apprehension during the peak stage, regardless of whether they were infected with SARS-CoV-2 or not. These negative emotions were exacerbated by four drivers, namely infection risk, supplies, isolation and media. As the epidemic gradually came under control, healthcare workers experienced less anxiety from these factors, but became concerned about their low financial status. To reduce anxiety, healthcare workers diverted their attention from the risk of infection through personal entertainment and religious beliefs and focused on treating their patients. Furthermore, assistance from other people, including colleagues, families, friends, patients and society, helped protect healthcare workers from anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

Personal and social support can relieve healthcare workers' anxiety to some extent during the different stages of an epidemic. Both protective equipment and financial allowance motivate healthcare workers to focus on patient care, although the latter matters more as the epidemic comes under control.

Emotional Experience and Feelings during First COVID-19 Outbreak Perceived by Physical Therapists: A Qualitative Study in Madrid, Spain

Knowing the experiences and feelings of health professionals who have actively worked on the first-line during the first COVID-19 outbreak could help for identifying specific professional duties focused on health assistance objectives. No qualitative study has been published describing the emotion/feelings of physical therapists during the first COVID-19 outbreak. This study describes and explores the emotional experiences and feelings of thirty physical therapists working at the first-line at eleven public health hospitals in Madrid (Spain) during the first COVID-19 outbreak (March–May 2020). A qualitative exploratory study was conducted based on an interpretive framework. Participants were recruited by purposeful sampling and snow-ball techniques between May and June 2020. In-depth interviews and researchers’ field notes were used to collect the data. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted to identify significant emerging themes from verbatim transcription. After identifying 2135 codes and 9 categories, three themes emerged to describe their emotional experiences and feelings. First, “Critical events”, with negative and positive critical events. Second theme, “Emotional Roller Coaster”, with emotions, feelings, and coping strategies. Third theme: “Last words: Conclusions of the COVID-19 outbreak experience”, with the meaning of the COVID-19 outbreak from a personal and professional perspective. Comprehensive support for all first-line healthcare professionals is needed.