ABSTRACT
AIM: This study seeks to gain a comprehensive understanding of the experiences of frontline nurses who provided direct care for COVID-19 patients. BACKGROUND: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the demands on healthcare systems have been higher than before. Although previous studies have explored the experiences of frontline nurses, these experiences could vary depending on each country's social, cultural, and historical contexts. INTRODUCTION: In the midst of the global pandemic, sharing the experiences of COVID-19 frontline nurses could have implications for both nursing and nursing policies that could be applied to future pandemics. METHODS: This descriptive qualitative study comprised 14 South Korean nurses with a minimum of one month of experience working within a COVID-19 department. Individual interviews were conducted on a virtual platform, and a thematic analysis was employed. The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative studies were used to ensure a detailed reporting of the study. RESULTS: Four themes and 12 subthemes were developed. The themes included: (1) feeling forced into a world of uncertainty; (2) providing unique care for COVID-19 patients; (3) perceiving barriers to providing quality care; and (4) seeking meaning in caring for COVID-19 patients. DISCUSSION: Nurses recognized their unique roles in caring for COVID-19 patients and sought new meanings within their profession. However, the poor work environment exacerbated the physical and emotional burden among the nurses and compromised the provision of quality care. CONCLUSION: This study highlighted the nursing policy issues that need to be improved to ensure better quality care and a stronger healthcare system. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING POLICY: Governmental action is essential to ensure that nurses can maintain the quality of care they have provided during COVID-19 and any future pandemics.
ABSTRACT
With the recent impact by the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing research has gone through unexpected changes across the globe. The purpose of this special report is to present the commonalities in the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nursing research across four countries, including the United States, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, and one region, that is, Hong Kong, and to make recommendations for future nursing research during the immediate postpandemic period and future pandemic situations. To identify the commonalities, seven researchers/leaders from the five countries/regions had discussions through 3 days of an international workshop. The content for this discussion paper derived from: (a) the exemplars/cases of the COVID-19 impact on the research process, (b) researchers/leaders' presentations on the COVID-19 impact, and (c) memos from the workshop. The materials were analyzed using a simple content analysis. The commonalities included: (a) "a heavy emphasis on teaching and fluctuating productivity," (b) "increased funding opportunities and governmental support," (c) "gendered experience complicated by professional differences," (d) "delays and changes/modifications in research process," (e) "limited research settings and difficulties in getting access," and (f) "increased online dissemination activities with positive changes in the image of nursing." With all collective wisdom that nurse researchers have obtained during the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing research will evolve again for the successful future of the nursing discipline.