Nurses' Experiences and Ethical Dilemmas in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study

Year 2024, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 225 - 238

Gülcan Eyüboğlu Arnel Böke Kılıçlı Zehra Göçmen Baykara Firuze Çevık Aydın

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the nurses' experiences and ethical dilemmas during the early stages of the COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus Disease) pandemic in Türkiye. Nineteen nurses from seven different provinces in Türkiye were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling. We conducted qualitative research with an interpretative phenomenological design, collecting data through semi-structured, in-depth videoconference interviews from June to September 2020. Three themes emerged concerning experiences: "a range of emotions," "factors affecting nursing services," and "a change in the perspective of nurses." Three themes also emerged regarding ethical dilemmas: "Is the priority to benefit or not harm?", "Is the priority not to harm or justice?", and "Is the priority to benefit, not harm, or respect autonomy?" During this period, nurses experienced intense negative emotions such as fear, anxiety, and sadness. Solidarity, team collaboration, and management support facilitated nursing care. As reported by nurses, challenges in nursing care were attributed to the use of personal protective equipment, limited resources, and physical inadequacies. Nurses frequently faced ethical dilemmas involving the prioritization of benefiting patients, avoiding harm, upholding justice, and respecting patient autonomy while caring for individuals infected with COVID-19.

Keywords

COVID-19, Experience, Ethical Dilemma, Nursing, Türkiye.

COVID-19 Pandemisinde Hemşirelerin Deneyimleri ve Etik İkilemler: Fenomenolojik Bir Çalışma

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı, Türkiye'de COVID-19 (Yeni Koronavirüs Hastalığı) pandemisinin erken döneminde hemşirelerin yaşadıkları deneyimleri ve etik ikilemleri ortaya çıkarmaktır. Türkiye'nin yedi farklı ilinde bulunan hemşireler (n=19) amaçlı ve kartopu örnekleme yöntemi kullanılarak seçilmiştir. Bu çalışmada, yorumlayıcı fenomenolojik tasarımlı nitel araştırma yürütülmüştür. Veriler, Haziran-Eylül 2020 tarihleri arasında yarı yapılandırılmış, derinlemesine video konferans görüşmeleri yoluyla toplanmıştır. Deneyimlerle ilgili üç tema ortaya çıkmıştır: "bir dizi duygu", "hemşirelik hizmetlerini etkileyen faktörler" ve "hemşirelerin bakış açısında değişiklik". Etik ikilemlerle ilgili üç tema ortaya çıkmıştır: "Öncelik yarar sağlamak mı yoksa zarar vermemek mi", "öncelik zarar vermemek mi yoksa adalet mi" ve "öncelik yarar sağlama- zarar vermeme mi yoksa özerkliğe saygı duymak mı". Pandemi sürecinde hemşireler korku, kaygı ve üzüntü gibi olumsuz duyguları yoğun olarak hissettiklerini belirtmişlerdir. Dayanışma, ekip iş birliği ve yönetim desteği hemşirelik bakımını kolaylaştıran faktörler olarak ifade edilmiştir. Hemşirelerin ifadelerine göre, kişisel koruyucu ekipman kullanımı, sınırlı kaynaklar ve fiziksel yetersizlikler hemşirelik bakımını zorlaştırmıştır. Hemşireler, COVID-19 ile enfekte olmuş bireylere bakım verirken yarar sağlama, zarar vermeme, adalet ve özerkliğe saygı etik ikilemleri ile karşılaştıklarını belirtmişlerdir.

Keywords

COVID-19, Deneyim, Etik İkilem, Hemşirelik, Türkiye.

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