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The experiences and needs of re-entering nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study.

ABSTRACT: Background: During the COVID-19 outbreak in the Netherlands, thousands of former nurses have returned to nursing to support healthcare staff. After a period of absence and with little time to prepare, these former nurses re-entered during a challenging, uncertain and rapidly evolving pandemic. Little is known about the experiences and needs of these re-entering nurses. Objectives: Assessing the needs and experiences of re-entering nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: Qualitative study using a pragmatist approach within the interpretative paradigm. Settings: This study took place in the following settings within the Dutch healthcare system: Intensive care units, COVID and regular departments within hospitals, nursing home settings, a rehabilitation centre and newly established COVID-19 departments within nursing home settings. Participants: We purposively selected 20 nurses who had re-entered nursing during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic between March 2020 and June 2020 in the Netherlands. The first interview was conducted on the eighth of May 2020. Methods: We conducted 20 semi-structured interviews in Dutch. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed via thematic content analysis in the coding program of MAXQDA2020. This study followed the SRQR and COREQ guidelines. Results: Seven main themes were identified. Clear job description: Participants mentioned that a lack of a clear job description led to lack of clarity about the kind of tasks that re-entering nurses were expected and allowed to perform. Training: the majority of the participants had received none or little training prior to their return. Training content: Re-entering nurses mentioned to wish for an easily accessible mentorship structure and an individualised and practical training program. Positive team dynamic: Re-entering nurses felt supported by a positive team dynamic, which was shaped by the sense of urgency and relevance of their work and helped them deal with stressful experiences. Mental health: Nearly all participants mentioned that re-entering during a pandemic did not lead to impairment of their mental health. mental health support: Most participants mentioned being able to cope with their mental health independently, sharing experiences with family and colleagues Conclusion: The results indicate that a rapid and safe return to nursing during a pandemic could be facilitated by: a clear description of roles and responsibilities; an individualised assessment determining the competences and knowledge disparities of re-entering nurses; practical training focussing on competencies needed during a pandemic; and a collaborative mentorship structure to guide re-entering nurses. Tweetable abstract: In-depth interviews with former nurses who returned to #nursing during the first wave of the #COVID19 #pandemic in the Netherlands.

SUBMITTER: Noorland SA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8501512 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundIn the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses have played vital roles in clinical treatment. Their success in providing adequate care services depends on their psychological state, which determines their physical health, work status, therapeutic outcomes, and response to public health emergencies. However, a limited number of studies have evaluated psychological care needs from the perspective of nurses. This study aimed to describe the psychological care needs for frontline nurses in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThis was a qualitative descriptive study. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 15 frontline nurses who had been involved in the care of COVID-19 positive patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, and received psychological care. The conventional content analysis was used to identify themes from the interview transcripts.ResultsFour major themes about the psychological care needs of frontline nurses were identified: (1) psychological service providers (categories: professional service team, trustworthy person or group, ability to empathize with nurses); (2) problems with psychological care (categories: lack of universal screening and focused attention, online group counseling lacks targeting, psychological interventions lack individualization); (3) psychological care content (categories: mental health-related education, recognition of nurses' contributions, problem-solving therapy, psychological counseling and venting); (4) organization and management of psychological services (categories: focus on the psychological care needs of frontline nurses, build a standardized psychological service process system).ConclusionIt is important to understand individual psychological care needs of frontline nurses and to provide them with tailor-made psychological care that meet their needs. This will improve their mental health, promote clinical care and quality responses to public health emergencies.

Project description:ObjectiveHaematological cancer patients are particularly vulnerable to the effects of COVID-19. In addition to being immunocompromised, pandemic-related travel restrictions have impacted access to treatments and overseas stem cell donations for patients requiring transplantation. Given this vulnerability, people with haematological cancers are at risk of experiencing heightened distress during the pandemic. This study aimed to explore haematological cancer patients' experiences and needs.MethodsTwenty-four Australian haematological cancer patients completed semi-structured interviews exploring their concerns and worries during the pandemic, impact of pandemic on management of disease, access to information and support, lifestyle changes, and attitudes towards emerging models of healthcare during the pandemic. Interview transcripts were thematically analysed.ResultsFour themes reflecting the experiences of haematological cancer patients during the pandemic were identified: 'Fears about contracting COVID-19' (behaviour changes to protect health, impact on daily routine and habits, annoyance at dismissive attitude of others toward COVID-19); 'Reduced sense of connection and support' (reduced social support and access to external support services); 'New challenges' (increased financial hardship, worsened health), and; 'Underlying system and communication issues' (access to trusted information, satisfaction/dissatisfaction with care, navigating telehealth). Participants expressed a need for improved access to support services and trusted information.ConclusionsThe findings emphasise the additional challenges experienced by haematological cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic and their impact on daily life. Results point to the importance of validation of increased distress during periods of uncertainty; reinforcing recommendations about high-quality sources of information; and facilitating access to support services when face-to-face care is limited.

Project description:Aim and objectiveTo explore nurses' experiences regarding shift patterns while providing front-line care for COVID-19 patients in isolation wards of hospitals in Shanghai and Wuhan during the novel coronavirus pandemic. Our findings will help to optimise shift work scheduling, use the existing nursing workforce more efficiently and improve nursing quality.BackgroundNurses are one of the main professionals fighting against COVID-19. Providing care for COVID-19 patients is challenging. In isolation wards, the workload has increased, and the workflow and shift patterns are completely different from the usual. More importantly, there is a shortage of nurses. Therefore, it is essential and urgent to arrange nurses' shifts correctly and use the existing workforce resources efficiently.DesignA qualitative descriptive study of 14 nurses in Chinese hospitals was conducted.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were used based on the phenomenological research method; data were analysed using Colaizzi's method of data analysis. This study aligns with the COREQ checklist.ResultsFour themes were extracted: assess the competency of nurses to assign nursing work scientifically and reasonably, reorganise nursing workflow to optimise shift patterns, communicate between managers and front-line nurses to humanise shift patterns, and nurses' various feelings and views on shift patterns.ConclusionIt is necessary to arrange shift patterns scientifically and allocate workforce rationally to optimise nursing workforce allocation, reduce nurses' workload, improve nursing quality and promote physical and mental health among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.Relevance to clinical practiceThis study emphasised nurses' experiences on shift patterns in isolation wards, providing useful information to manage shift patterns. Nursing managers should arrange shifts scientifically, allocate nursing workforce rationally, formulate emergency plans and establish emergency response rosters during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Project description:Aims and objectiveTo explore the experiences of frontline nurses through analyzing nurse online diaries during the pandemic.BackgroundOver 42,600 healthcare professionals took care of patients with COVID-19 in Wuhan in the initial months between 23 January 2020 and 8 April 2020. Many used to write online diaries on Sina Microblog and still wrote about their experiences in the front line on this site. However, there has been little research on frontline nurses' experiences in the initial months of the pandemic through analyzing their narratives.DesignA qualitative descriptive design.MethodsA qualitative content analysis was used to analyze online diaries written by frontline nurses in Wuhan. A total of 205 entries in online diaries were collected from 12 frontline nurses, as accessible to those who subscribed to Sina Microblog social media site, between 23 January 2020 and 8 April 2020. NVivo12 was used to help analyze the data, and COREQ reporting guidelines were also used in this study.ResultsTwo themes were identified: constructing a better self and constructing a strong support network. A better self was constructed in describing positive emotions, commitment to care, pride and achievements, and whole-person growth. A strong support network was constructed through social support via different sources and gaining self-support via narrating their personal experiences in diaries.ConclusionsFrontline nurses demonstrated personal growth, psychological well-being, and professionalism in the process of constructing a better self and a strong support network.Relevance to clinical practiceThe findings indicate that frontline nurses can use narratives as debriefing opportunities and a way of gaining self-support. We suggest that online communities of professional support be used as an essential platform for sharing narratives and gaining a more comprehensive understanding of frontline nurses in the COVID-19 pandemic and other global public health events.

Project description:Maternity service providers have struggled to provide high-quality services to women and newborns during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which has substantially impacted health systems and disrupted maternity services globally. Nepal is a resources-limited country that reported a significant impact of the pandemic on maternal health services. It is therefore important to understand better the perspective of health care professionals in this context. This study intends to explore the experiences of nurses providing maternity care in the public sector during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal. A qualitative study using a phenomenological design was conducted. Altogether ten nurses working in maternity services were selected using purposive sampling technique. Data were collected by face-to-face in-depth interviews using a semi-structured interview guide. Thematic analysis was conducted using Clarke and Braun 2006 technique. The findings of the study were organized into codes, sub-themes and themes. The six themes identified were fear of COVID-19 at work, challenges at work, changes at work and services, motivations to work, stigma due to COVID-19, and impact on services. Participants described how maternity services could not be stopped during the pandemic. They had experienced decreased utilization of antenatal services as a consequence of ‘lockdown’ thereby leading to an increase in maternal and neonatal mortality. Respondents reported ineffective human resource management compromising the quality of care. The professional responsibility to cope with adverse circumstances and serve society is a major source of motivation that health workers relied upon to get them through the pandemic period. A wide range of challenges were faced by service providers during the pandemic which requires action and support of all levels of government, institutions and society-at-large to assure the continued provision of safe maternity care during such a protracted period of challenging work.

Project description:BackgroundThe pandemic caused by COVID-19 has affected reproductive and perinatal health both through the infection itself and, indirectly, as a consequence of changes in medical care, social policy or social and economic circumstances. The objective of this study is to explore the impact of the pandemic and of the measures adopted on breastfeeding initiation and maintenance.MethodsA qualitative descriptive study was conducted by means in-depth semi-structured interviews, until reaching data saturation. The study was conducted between the months of January to May 2021. Participants were recruited by midwives from the Primary Care Centres of the Andalusian provinces provinces of Seville, Cádiz, Huelva, Granada, and Jaén. The interviews were conducted via phone call and were subsequently transcribed and analysed by means of reflexive inductive thematic analysis, using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis.ResultsA total of 30 interviews were conducted. Five main themes and ten subthemes were developed, namely: Information received (access to the information, figure who provided the information), unequal support from the professionals during the pandemic (support to postpartum hospitalization, support received from Primary Health Care during the postpartum period), social and family support about breastfeeding (support groups, family support), impact of confinement and of social restriction measures (positive influence on breastfeeding, influence on bonding with the newborn), emotional effect of the pandemic (insecurity and fear related to contagion by coronavirus, feelings of loneliness).ConclusionThe use of online breastfeeding support groups through applications such as WhatsApp®, Facebook® or Instagram® has provided important breastfeeding information and support sources. The main figure identified that has provided formal breastfeeding support during this period was that of the midwife. In addition, the social restrictions inherent to the pandemic have exerted a positive effect for women in bonding and breastfeeding, as a consequence of the increase in the time spent at their homes and in the family nucleus co-living.

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The experiences and needs of re-entering nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study.

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