Experiences of Intensive Care Nurses in Caregiving for Coronavirus (COVID-19) Patients: A Phenomenological Approach

Abstract

Objective: This study was conducted to specify the caregiving experiences of intensive care nurses who provided care to coronavirus (COVID-19) patients.
 Methods: The experiences of intensive care nurses were quoted with a phenomenological approach. The data were collected from 25 intensive care nurses over Skype using a semi-structured interview form between July 21 and August 31, 2020. In data analysis, Colaizzi's phenomenological method was used.
 Results: As a result of the coding process, 3 themes were determined as (1) Difficulties: It was revealed that the intensive care nurses experienced physical, psychological and family relations/family environment difficulties; (2) Achievements: The nurses expressed that they had achievements related to professionalization/professional satisfaction, teamwork and the concepts of life and death in the caregiving process; (3) Coping strategies: The participants stated that they used positive coping strategies such as orientation to religion, exercise and music and negative coping strategies such as smoking and alcohol consumption during their period of caregiving for COVID-19 patients.
 Conclusion: Struggling with a pandemic caused the intensive care nurses to be physically, psychologically and emotionally exhausted. Intensive care nurses should be given coping training on crisis management, and psychological support should be provided to them.