A Qualitative Study on Being an Emergency Nurse in the COVID-19 Pandemic: “Trying to Stay Balanced on the Life-Death Line”

Year 2023, , 1 - 8, 29.03.2023

Emel Yılmaz Aynur Çetinkaya Duygu Helvacı , Tuğba Cengiz

https://doi.org/10.5152/JANHS.2023.22117200

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to describe the perceptions and experiences of emergency nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: The research was conducted with content analysis based on a qualitative approach. The study was conducted in the emergency department of a training and research hospital in
western Turkey between July and December 2021. Forty-nine nurses who were determined by the criterion sampling method, which is one of the purposeful sampling method, were interviewed.
Nurses working in the emergency department, caring for patients with COVID-19, and volunteering to participate in the study were included in the study group. The data were collected using an
information form consisting of 8 questions containing the socio-demographic characteristics of the nurses, and a data collection form consisting of 10 semi-structured open-ended questions
was created in line with the literature. NVIVO 12 Pro program was used in the analysis of the data. The data were evaluated by thematic analysis.

Results: Five categories were reached in this research based on qualitative question analysis conducted with nurses who worked as emergency nurses in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. The category labels and citation numbers from the most cited to the least are as follows: negative affect reflection (f:275), difficult working conditions (f:273), fatigue in the struggle (f:205), the promise of the profession (f:112), and head efforts (f:103).

Conclusion: As a result of the research, it was determined that emergency nurses were affected negatively physically and psychologically during the COVID-19 process, experienced various personal and professional problems, and used effective methods to cope with all these negativities. In order to improve and maintain the physical and mental health of nurses, their support needs should be closely monitored and support systems should be established.

Keywords

Emergency nurse, qualitative research, COVID-19, pandemic

COVID-19 Pandemisinde Acil Servis Hemşiresi Olmak Üzerine Nitel Bir Çalışma: “Yaşam-Ölüm Çizgisi Üzerinde Dengede Kalmaya Çalışmak”

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmada amaç acil servis hemşirelerinin COVID-19 pandemisi sırasındaki algı ve deneyimlerini betimlemektir.

Yöntemler: Araştırma, nitel yaklaşıma dayalı içerik analizi ile yürütülmüştür. Çalışma Türkiye'nin batısındaki bir eğitim araştırma hastanesinin acil servisinde Temmuz-Aralık 2021 tarihleri arasında yapılmıştır. Amaçlı örnekleme yönteminden birisi olan ölçüt örnekleme yöntemi ile belirlenmiş 49 hemşire ile görüşülmüştür. Çalışma grubuna acil serviste çalışan, COVID-19'lu hasta bakımı yapan ve araştırmaya katılmaya gönüllü olan hemşireler dahil edilmiştir. Veriler hemşirelerin sosyo demografik özelliklerini sorgulayan sekiz soruluk tanıtıcı özellikleri içeren bilgi formu ve
alanyazın doğrultusunda oluşturulan yarı yapılandırılmış açık uçlu 10 sorudan oluşan veri toplama formu kullanılmıştır. Verilerin analizinde NVIVO 12 Pro programı kullanılmıştır. Veriler tematik analiz ile değerlendirilmiştir.

Bulgular: COVİD-19 pandemisinde acil hemşiresi olarak çalışmış hemşireler ile yürütülmüş nitel soru çözümlemesine dayalı bu araştırmada beş kategoriye ulaşılmıştır. En çok atıf alandan en aza doğru kategori etiketleri ve atıf sayıları şöyledir: negatif duygulanım yansıması (f:275), zorlu çalışma koşulları (f:273), mücadelede yorgunluk (f:205), mesleğe verilmiş söz (f:112), baş etme çabaları (f:103).

Sonuç: Araştırma sonucunda COVID-19 sürecinde acil hemşirelerinin fiziksel ve psikolojik olarak olumsuz yönde etkilendikleri, çeşitli kişisel ve mesleki sorunlar yaşadıkları ve tüm bu olumsuzluklar ile başa çıkmada etkin yöntemler kullandıkları saptanmıştır. Hemşirelerin fiziksel ve ruhsal sağlığını geliştirmek ve sürdürmek için destek ihtiyaçları yakından izlenmeli ve destek sistemleri oluşturulmalıdır.

Keywords

Acil hemşiresi, nitel araştırma, COVID-19, pandemi

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