PSYCHIATRIC CARE DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Year 2023, Volume: 4 Issue: 3, 240 - 253, 19.12.2023

Buket Şimşek Arslan , Sibel Çaynak , Ahmet Göktaş , İlkay Keser , Kadriye Buldukoğlu

Abstract

IIntroduction: There have been changes in the delivery of nursing care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychiatric care has also been affected by these changes.
Objective: This study was conducted to examine the thoughts and experiences of nurses regarding the psychiatric care they provided during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: One of the qualitative research methods, the case study method, has been utilized in this study. Research sampling consisted of 11 volunteer nurses working in psychiatric settings within the center of Antalya, Turkey. Research data were obtained via Personal Information Form and Semi-structured Interview Form designed to hold personal in-depth interviews. The descriptive analysis method was employed in the analysis of qualitative data.
Results: 90.9% of the participants were female and their mean age was 42.09. Six main themes and 18 subthemes were identified concerning the psychiatric care provided during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings showed that pandemic conditions negatively impacted psychiatric care. Group activities in psychiatric care decreased, the need for individual training and follow-up of COVID-19 symptoms increased, and nurses had difficulty in their caregiver roles. Although the care burden of nurses increased, the number of staff working in psychiatric settings decreased.
Conclusion: Due to the pandemic conditions, the regulations made in the psychiatric setting (mask, distance and hygiene rules, use of protective equipment, training, etc.) adversely affect the quality of psychiatric care. To assure the continuity of psychiatric care during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is suggested to enhance the motivation of nurses, reconstruct the activities in accordance with pandemic conditions, rehabilitate the physical conditions of the institutions, and increase the time spent with the patients.

Keywords

Psychiatric care, psychiatric nursing, psychiatric settings, COVID-19 pandemic, qualitative study

COVID-19 PANDEMİSİNDE PSİKİYATRİK BAKIM: NİTEL BİR ÇALIŞMA

Abstract

Giriş: COVID-19 pandemisinde hemşirelik bakımının sunulmasında değişiklikler olmuştur. Psikiyatrik bakım da bu değişikliklerden etkilenmiştir.
Amaç: Bu çalışma, COVID-19 pandemisi sürecinde verilen psikiyatrik bakımı hemşirelerin bakış açısıyla değerlendirmek amacıyla yapılmıştır.
Yöntem: Çalışmada nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden durum çalışması yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın örneklemini Antalya il merkezindeki psikiyatri kliniklerinde/birimlerinde çalışan ve araştırmaya katılmayı kabul eden 11 hemşire oluşturmuştur. Araştırmanın verileri Kişisel Bilgi Formu ve bireysel derinlemesine görüşmeler yapmak amacıyla oluşturulmuş Yarı Yapılandırılmış Görüşme Formu aracılığıyla elde edilmiştir. Kalitatif verilerin analizinde, betimsel analiz yöntemi kullanılmıştır.
Bulgular: Katılımcıların %90.9’u kadın olup, yaş ortalamaları 42.09’dur. Betimsel analiz sonucu, COVID-19 pandemisi sürecinde verilen psikiyatrik bakım ile ilgili altı ana tema ve 18 alt tema belirlenmiştir. Çalışmadan elde edilen bulgular, pandemi koşullarına göre yapılan düzenlemelerin psikiyatrik bakımı olumsuz yönde etkilediğini göstermektedir. Psikiyatrik bakımda grup aktiviteleri azalmış, bireysel eğitim ihtiyacı ve COVID-19 semptomlarının takibi artmıştır. Hemşirelerin bakım yükü artmasına rağmen psikiyatrik ortamlarda çalışan personel sayısı azalmıştır.
Sonuç: Pandemi koşulları nedeniyle klinik işleyişinde yapılan düzenlemeler (maske, mesafe ve hijyen kuralları, koruyucu ekipman kullanımı, eğitim verme vb.) psikiyatrik bakımın niteliğini olumsuz yönde etkilemektedir. Pandemi koşullarına göre düzenleme yaparken aynı zamanda psikiyatrik bakımın sürekliliğini sağlayacak planlamalara ihtiyaç vardır. Pandemi sürecinde verilen psikiyatrik bakımın sürekliliğini sağlamak için hemşirelerin motivasyonlarının artırılması, etkinliklerin pandemi koşullarına göre yeniden yapılandırılması, kurumların fiziki şartlarının iyileştirilmesi ve hastalarla geçirilen zamanın artırılması önerilmektedir.

Keywords

Psikiyatrik bakım, psikiyatri hemşireliği, psikiyatri kliniği, COVID-19 pandemisi, nitel çalışma

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