The experience of Critical Care Area Nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a major impact on healthcare systems around the world. Healthcare workers, and nurses in particular, have faced significant clinical and organizational challenges, putting their own safety at risk.
It is therefore of interest to understand the experience of health workers working on the front lines of emergency health management.
Objectives: The objective of the study was to explore the experience of critical care area nurses employed in caring for patients with COVID-19.
Materials and Methods: A qualitative phenomenological descriptive study was conducted. Emergency Department and ICU nurses from a Level 2 DEA involved in caring for patients with SARS-CoV2 were enrolled during April-May 2020. Data collection was through unstructured, audio-recorded, face-to-face interviews. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed.
Results: 12 interviews were conducted in which 6 themes and 17 subcategories emerged. The thematic areas highlighted were: emotional impact, relationship with patients, work environment, Personal Protective Equipment, family environment, and adaptation.
Discussion: The themes that emerged highlighted the nurses' lived experience, suggesting that the pandemic resulted in a strong impact on both the work and personal spheres of professionals, in line with the international literature.
Conclusions: The study provided important insights into the emotional and work-related impact the pandemic had on nurses. Understanding the experience of frontline workers is essential to implement effective strategies to reduce stress, burnout, and improve quality of care.