ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on January 31, 2020. China was the first country to experience the challenges of controlling COVID-19. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of Chinese nurses who countermarched to the outbreak city for medical support in the very first period of this global infection. METHODOLOGY: A qualitative study of phenomenological research design was used to describe the experiences of 10 Chinese nurses. Data were collected in February 2020 through in-depth interviews and analyzed by conventional content analysis methods. RESULTS: Chinese nurses experienced different psychological stages, work pressure, and challenges. New concepts of nursing also emerged during their clinical care for COVID-19 patients. DISCUSSION: The guidance synthesized from the Chinese nurse stories could give specific direction for a well-prepared global nursing workforce and high-quality patient care in the present and future epidemics. The worries about discrimination of COVID-19 patients' needs to be addressed culturally and emotionally as a priority by health care workers when they care for COVID-19 patients.
Subject(s)
Nurses/psychology , Volunteers/psychology , COVID-19/nursing , COVID-19/prevention & control , China , Humans , Motivation , Nursing Care/methods , Nursing Care/trends , Qualitative ResearchABSTRACT
Introduction: Modern nursing was introduced into China by Western missionaries in the 19th century; since then, significant changes continued to occur, which provides beneficial areas of international collaboration based on trends in globalization. Methods and Materials: The description was developed through reviews of published literature, policy documents that inform Chinese nursing practice, education, and the firsthand working experiences between American and Chinese nurses and faculty. Results: 82 articles and 13 governmental documents were included. Chinese nursing has undergone significant changes in the organization, quality assessment, and roles requirements in education and practice. International collaboration areas include addressing the severe faculty shortage, maternal child care, elderly care, quality assessment, and educational programs evaluation. Discussion: Informative knowledge of changing Chinese nursing education and practices in the new millennium, the potential areas, and guides for international nursing collaboration would be meaningful to internationally involved faculty and nurses in China and America.
