ABSTRACT
Objective: To describe the lived experience of nursing staff and nurse leaders working in COVID-19 devoted units (intensive care or medical unit) prior to vaccine availability. Research Design: Qualitative phenomenological design with a focus group approach. Methods: The study team recruited a convenience sample of nursing staff (nurses, and nursing assistants/nurse technicians) and nurse leaders (managers, assistant nurse managers, clinical nurse specialists, and nurse educators) at an academic medical center in the midwestern United States. Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted to encourage participants to describe their (1) experiences as nursing professionals, (2) coping strategies, and (3) perspectives about supportive resources. Moral distress was measured with the moral distress thermometer and qualitative data were analyzed with Giorgi-style phenomenology. Results: We conducted 10 in-person focus groups and five one-on-one interviews (n = 44). Seven themes emerged: (1) the reality of COVID-19: we are sprinting in a marathon; (2) acute/critical care nurse leaders experience unique burdens; (3) acute/critical care staff nurses experience unique burdens; (4) meaning of our lived experience; (5) what helped us during the pandemic; (6) what hurt us during the pandemic; and (7) we are not okay. Participants reported a moderate level of moral distress (M = 5.26 SD = 2.31). They emphasized that peer support was preferred over other types of support offered by the healthcare organization. Participants expressed positive feedback about the focus group experience and commented that group processing validated their experiences and helped them "feel heard." Conclusion: These findings affirm the need for trauma-informed care and grief support for nurses, interventions that increase meaning in work, and efforts to enhance primary palliative communication skills. Study findings can inform efforts to tailor existing interventions and develop new, more comprehensive resources to meet the psychosocial needs of nursing staff and nurse leaders practicing during a pandemic.
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this mixed-method study was to understand the relationships between work-related burnout (WRB), compassion fatigue (CF), and intention to leave the nursing profession. The Job Demands-Resources model was used to predict intention to leave as a function of WRB, CF, and caring for COVID-19 patients in a sample of 1299 US nurses. Greater WRB and CF scores were associated with intention to leave the profession. Contrary to prior research, working with COVID-19 patients was associated with greater intention to stay in nursing. Personal finances may represent rationale for nurses to choose to stay nurses despite burnout.
ABSTRACT
Background: Nurse duty of care, the balance between nursing occupational obligations to provide care, the personal costs for providing such care, and the reward for providing care, has been significantly altered by the COVID-19 pandemic. ICU nurses are increasingly burdened with higher personal costs to fulfill their jobs, but little additional reward for continuing to provide care. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the duty of care balance among ICU nurses who manage COVID-19 patients. Design: This was a descriptive qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Methods: Nurses were recruited for a parent study on ICU nursing during COVID-19; this is a secondary analysis of the interviews that took place during the parent study. Content analysis was utilized to identify themes from interview transcripts. Results: Thirteen nurses participated in interviews. Nurses reported betrayal at perceived breeches in their duty of care agreement by their employers, the general public, and national health authorities. They described alterations to previous standards of care such as significantly increased workloads, worsening understaffing, and changes to patient care expectations that were implemented for reasons other than betterment of patient care. Nurses reported they felt a moral obligation to provide care, however they experienced disempowerment and burnout that affected them both in and out of the workplace. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected several aspects of the duty of care balance, resulting in a duty of care balance that is inequitable to nurses. Imbalance in the effort, risks, and rewards for nursing professionals may contribute to nurse burnout. Relevance to Clinical Practice: This research highlights the need for healthcare administrators to consider resource allocation, nurse appreciation, and commensurate compensation for professional nurses.