Experience and views of nurses on nursing services and personal protective equipment in Covid-19 pandemic the case of Turkey: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were difficulties in planning the nursing workforce and personal protective equipment. AIM: The purpose of this study was to identify the experiences and views of nurses on personal protective equipment use and nursing workforce planning in Turkey. METHODS: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted between 23 December 2020 and 3 May 2021, among 362 nurses who agreed to participate in this study voluntarily. RESULTS: The findings showed that the satisfaction scores were significantly higher for those nurses who worked in 8-h shifts, were not assigned to different clinics, were notified by an official letter and 1 week or month in advance before assignment compared with nurses in other categories. CONCLUSIONS: The problems that have arisen in the COVID-19 pandemic process have made it clear that there is a need for a nursing services management model in the event of an epidemic. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: This study reveals the need for the 'Nursing Services Management Model in the Event of an Epidemic' by discussing the problems of nurse workforce planning and protective personal equipment management from the perspective of nurses who experienced these problems at first hand.

Cardiovascular nurses' experiences of working in the COVID-19 intensive care unit: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular nurses' skills and experiences of cardiac critical care, management of cardiovascular emergencies, and mechanical circulatory support have been considered vital in providing nursing care for COVID-19 patients in intensive care units during the COVID-19 pandemic. To our knowledge, there are no studies have focused on the contribution and experiences of cardiovascular nurses in the critical care of COVID-19 patients. OBJECTIVES: To explore the experiences of cardiovascular nurses working in a COVID-19 intensive care unit during the pandemic. METHODS: The study was conducted as a qualitative study with phenomenological approach in June-December 2020. Study data were gathered from ten cardiovascular nurses through semi-structured interviews. RESULTS: Six themes emerged from the interview data: the duties and responsibilities in a COVID-19 intensive care unit; the differences of COVID-19 intensive care unit practices from cardiovascular practices; the transferrable skills of cardiovascular nurses in a COVID-19 intensive care unit; the difficulties encountered working in a COVID-19 intensive care unit; the difficulty of working with personal protective equipment; and the psychosocial effects of working in a COVID-19 intensive care unit. CONCLUSION: Cardiovascular nurses made an important contribution to the management of nursing services with their experiences and skills in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Experiences of adult extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients following discharge: A mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: Survival and discharge rates after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation are gradually increasing. More research is warranted to investigate extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients' post-discharge experiences, problems and quality of life. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine adult extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients' experiences, problems and quality of life following discharge. METHODS: A mixed methods research was used. Study sample consisted of 11 adult extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients discharged at least one month prior to study entry. In-depth interviews were conducted. Participants' quality of life was assessed using the EuroQol 5 Dimension 5 Level questionnaire. RESULTS: Two categories (pre- and post-discharge), 7 themes and 16 sub-themes were developed based on in-depth interviews. According to the EuroQol 5 Dimension 5 Level, participants had high perceptions of health. CONCLUSION: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients should be provided with comprehensive post-discharge education, exercise programs, social support and regular home visits for post-discharge assessment and follow-up care.