A rapid review of nurses’ experiences working in hospital settings during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

Background@#Being at the frontline, nurses working in hospital settings are vulnerable to a range of experiences that impact their wellbeing. Measures to protect their health and welfare during the COVID-19 pandemic have been the focus of discussion among policymakers and administrators. There is a need to collectively understand their personal experiences to inform relevant policy decisions.@*Objective@#To synthesize and present the best available evidence describing the experiences of nurses working in hospital settings during the COVID-19 pandemic.@*Design@#This is a rapid review using Tricco's seven stage process. @*Data sources@#A structured search using PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and a local database Herdin was conducted.@*Review Methods@#A rapid review of studies published from January to August 2020, describing nurses' experiences of working in hospital facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic were included regardless of methodology. Following data screening and extraction, a narrative synthesis of the findings was conducted.@*Results@#Nineteen articles were included in the review. The experiences of nurses described in these articles generated a total of fifteen categories, based on similarities of meaning. Four synthesized findings were identified from the categories (a) supportive nursing culture; (b) physical, emotional, and psychological impact of frontline work; (c) organizational responsiveness; (d) and maintaining standards of care.@*Conclusions@#Nurses' experiences working in hospital settings during the COVID-19 pandemic are diverse, profound, and dependent on the context of practice and prevailing healthcare system and organization. These experiences reflect personal encounters and shifts in healthcare delivery that ensure protection and safety while maintaining standards of care. Robust studies are needed to capture and explore the breadth of these experiences and heighten the discussions that advocate for nurses' welfare and safety during pandemics.