Nurses and COVID-19 response in Botswana.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the Botswana Presidential Task Force, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW), to devise strategies to utilize the already overburdened health personnel to combat the spread of the coronavirus. This descriptive case study aimed to describe nurses' role during COVID-19 in Botswana. DESIGN AND METHODS: A case study analysis was used to describe nurses' roles during COVID-19. Data were collected through observing events in various health facilities and various media platforms that described how nurses had to position themselves to combat the pandemic. Content analysis was done by coding and developing categories that put like content together and generate thematic areas. RESULTS: Nurses from different sectors were redeployed to assist in setting up different units at the COVID-19 makeshift hospital, taking away from the already understaffed section of health care workers resulting in the overburden and work overload. Furthermore, nurses continued with their regular day-to-day nursing care duties in various healthcare settings, albeit under a severe shortage due to the national response to COVID-19. CONCLUSION: Adaptations and experiential strategies enabled the distribution of the nursing workforce to cover all locations to curb the spread of COVID-19 despite the challenges encountered. Recommendations and lessons learned on how to prepare for future pandemics are also discussed. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Due to their large numbers, nurses formed the backbone of the Botswana COVID-19 response strategy. Therefore, policy-makers should be responsive to the nurses' perspectives when developing strategic policies on how to deal with pandemics based on their experiences.