The Lived Experience of Nurses Caring for Patients with COVID-19 in Iran: A Phenomenological Study

Zohreh Karimi; Zhila Fereidouni; Mohammad Behnammoghadam; Nasrollah Alimohammadi; Ali Mousavizadeh; Tahmine Salehi; Mohammad Saeed Mirzaee; Sobhan Mirzaee

doi:10.2147/RMHP.S258785

The Lived Experience of Nurses Caring for Patients with COVID-19 in Iran: A Phenomenological Study

Risk Manag Healthc Policy. 2020 Aug 20:13:1271-1278. doi: 10.2147/RMHP.S258785. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Zohreh Karimi¹, Zhila Fereidouni², Mohammad Behnammoghadam^{3

4}, Nasrollah Alimohammadi⁵, Ali Mousavizadeh⁶, Tahmine Salehi⁷, Mohammad Saeed Mirzaee⁸, Sobhan Mirzaee⁹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Operating Room, School of Paramedicine, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran.
² Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Nursing School, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Fars, Iran.
³ School of Nursing, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran.
⁴ School of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
⁵ Critical Care Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
⁶ Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Health, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran.
⁷ Nursing Care Research Center (NCRC), School of Nursing and Midwifery, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
⁸ School of Nursing and Midwifery, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
⁹ Student Research Committee, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran.

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of nurses caring for patients with COVID-19 in Iran.

Methods: This study was a descriptive phenomenology. Sampling was purposefully performed, and participants were selected in terms of the inclusion criteria. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews using the WhatsApp mobile messaging application. Colaizzi's method was used to analyse the data. The criteria introduced by Lincoln and Guba were used for the study rigour.

Results: The data were obtained from 12 nurses caring for patients with COVID-19. The mean age of the participants was 29.41 years (SD = 2.72) with a mean work experience of 6.75 years (SD = 2.52). Three main themes and six subthemes were identified: mental condition (subthemes included "anxiety and stress" and "fear"), emotional condition (subthemes included "suffering and affliction" and "waiting for death"), and care context (subthemes included "turmoil" and "lack of support and equipment").

Conclusion: The results of this study show that nurses working in the wards and care centres designated for patients with COVID-19 are experiencing mental and emotional distress and are working in inadequate professional conditions.

Keywords: COVID-19; nurse experience; nursing care; phenomenology.