Nurses experience of caring for patients with COVID-19: A phenomenological study

Rasmieh Al-Amer; Maram Darwish; Malakeh Malak; Amira Mohammed Ali; Kadejeh Al Weldat; Abdulmajeed Alkhamees; Khaled S Alshammari; Yacoub Abuzied; Sue Randall

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.922410

Nurses experience of caring for patients with COVID-19: A phenomenological study

Front Psychiatry. 2022 Jul 19:13:922410. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.922410. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Rasmieh Al-Amer^{1

2}, Maram Darwish³, Malakeh Malak⁴, Amira Mohammed Ali⁵, Kadejeh Al Weldat¹, Abdulmajeed Alkhamees⁶, Khaled S Alshammari⁷, Yacoub Abuzied⁸, Sue Randall⁹

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Nursing, Isra University, Amman, Jordan.
² School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia.
³ Vascular Surgery Department, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, United Kingdom.
⁴ Community Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.
⁵ Department of Psychiatric Nursing and Mental Health, Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
⁶ Department of Medicine, Unayzah College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Unayzah, Al Qassim, Saudi Arabia.
⁷ Stroke Unit, Nursing Department, Rehabilitation Hospital, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
⁸ Spinal Cord Injury Unit, Nursing Department, Rehabilitation Hospital, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
⁹ Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Abstract

Introduction: COVID-19 has impacted all dimensions of life and imposed serious threat on humankind.

Background: In Jordan, understanding how nurses experienced providing care for patients with COVID-19 offers a framework of knowledge about similar situations within the context of Arabic culture.

Aim: To explore nurses' experience with providing hands-on care to patients with active COVID-19 infection in an Arabic society.

Methods: A descriptive phenomenological study interviewed 10 nurses through a purposive sampling approach until data saturation was reached. The research site was hospital designated to receive patients with active COVID-19 infection. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data.

Findings: Three themes were generated from the data: the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on nurses' health; unfamiliar work and social environments; and conforming to professional standards.

Discussion: There are specific risks to the physical and mental wellbeing of nurses who provide hands-on care to patients with COVID-19 in an Arabic society.

Implication for nursing and health policy: Health care institutions should consider establishing programs that promote nurses' wellbeing and support their productivity in a crisis. A danger pay allowance should be considered for nurses during extraordinary circumstances, such as pandemics.

Keywords: Arabic culture; COVID-19; Jordan; a phenomenological study; caring; collectivist; experience; nurses.