Experiences of Nurses Working in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit in Turkey: A Qualitative Study

Year 2025, Volume: 10 Issue: 3, 351 - 357, 30.09.2025

Zilan Baran , Melike Tekindal , Dilek Özden

https://doi.org/10.61399/ikcusbfd.1603092

Abstract

Objective: The study aims to highlight the pandemic experiences of nurses working in the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) intensive care unit (ICU).
Material and Methods: In this study, the phenomenological approach, one of the qualitative research methods, was used. The participants were selected using the purposive sampling method and consisted of 13 nurses who were actively working in the COVID-19 ICU and volunteered to participate in the study. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with individuals. A thematic analysis was performed, and a computerassisted qualitative data analysis programme (MAXQDA22) was used to analyse the data.
Results: When nurses' experiences working in the COVID-19 ICU were analysed, nurses were most physically, socially, and psychologically affected by COVID-19.
Conclusion: It was determined that nurses working in the COVID-19 ICU were generally negatively affected. These negatives decreased nurses' job satisfaction, and many of the nurses had thoughts of quitting their jobs. This study provided important data about the pandemic by emphasizing COVID-19 ICU experiences. Within the scope of the study, it is recommended that psychosocial and economic micro, mezzo, and macro practices be implemented that will encourage nurses' professional commitment.
Keywords: COVID-19, intensive care units, nurses, qualitative research.

Keywords

COVID-19 , intensive care unit , qualitative research , nurses

Türkiye’de COVID-19 Yoğun Bakım Ünitesinde Çalışan Hemşirelerin Deneyimleri: Nitel Bir Çalışma

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, Koronavirüs hastalığı (COVID-19) yoğun bakım ünitesinde (YBÜ) aktif olarak çalışan hemşirelerin pandemi deneyimlerini görünür kılmaktır.
Gereç ve Yöntem: Bu çalışmada nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden fenomenolojik yaklaşım kullanılmıştır. Katılımcılar, amaçsal örnekleme yöntemine göre belirlenmiş olup COVID-19 YBÜ’nde aktif görev yapan ve çalışmaya katılmaya gönüllü olan 13 hemşireden oluşmaktadır. Bireylerle yarı yapılandırılmış derinlemesine görüşme yapılmıştır. Verilerin analizinde tematik analiz yapılmış ve bilgisayar destekli nitel veri analiz program (MAXQDA22) kullanılmıştır.
Bulgular: COVID-19 YBÜ çalışan hemşirelerin deneyimleri incelendiğinde; hemşirelerin COVID-19’dan en çok fiziksel, sosyal ve psikolojik olarak etkilendikleri belirlenmiştir.
Sonuç: COVID-19 yoğun bakım kliniğinde çalışan hemşirelerin genel olarak olumsuz etkilendikleri tespit edilmiş, bu olumsuzlukların hemşirelerin iş tatminini düşürdüğü ve hemşirelerin birçoğunun işi bırakma düşünceleri olduğu sonucuna varılmıştır. Bu çalışma, COVID-19 YBÜ deneyimlerine vurgu yaparak pandemi hakkında önemli veriler sağlamıştır. Çalışma kapsamında hemşirelerin mesleki bağlılığını teşvik edecek psikososyal ve ekonomik mikro, mezzo ve makro uygulamaların hayata geçirilmesi önerilmektedir.
Anahtar Kelimeler: COVID-19, yoğun bakım ünitesi, hemşireler, nitel araştırma.

Keywords

COVID-19 , yoğun bakım ünitesi , nitel araştırma , hemşireler

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