Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic overwhelmed the New York City area upon its arrival in the United States. Hospitals were unprepared to handle the influx of patients. This study explored nurse/nurse practitioner experiences when caring for COVID-19 patients in New York metropolitan hospitals, concentrating on physical well-being. Data collection involved in-depth interviews with eight participants. (A) physical safety of self, family members, colleagues, and patients greatly concerned participants; (B) caring for COVID-19 patients led to participants' physical exhaustion; and (C) most participants' sleep was impacted when caring for COVID-19 patients. This study identified issues involving U.S. health care workplace safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, namely availability of personal protective equipment, lack of centralized knowledge-sharing capabilities, sleep problems, anxiety regarding physical safety of self and others, and insufficient/undertrained staffing. It serves as a foundation for future research and calls for changes in U.S. hospital policies and procedures during crises.
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