An extreme heterogeneity of included studies was highlighted. Ultrasound evaluation of the diameter of the IVC and its respiratory variations does not seem to be a reliable method to predict fluid responsiveness.
Aim
To describe the experiences of Italian nurses who have been urgently and compulsorily allocated to a newly established COVID‐19 sub‐intensive care unit.
Background
In the context of the COVID‐19 pandemic, no studies have documented the experience of nurses urgently reallocated to a newly created unit.
Method
A qualitative descriptive study. Twenty‐four nurses working in a sub‐intensive care unit created for COVID‐19 patients participated in four focus groups. Audio‐recorded interviews were verbatim‐transcribed; then, a thematic analysis was performed.
Results
The experience of nurses was summarized along three lines: (a) ‘becoming a frontline nurse’, (b) ‘living a double‐faced professional experience’ and (c) ‘advancing in nursing practice’.
Conclusions
Nurses who experienced being mandatorily recruited and urgently reallocated to a COVID‐19 unit lived through a mix of negative feelings in the early stages, a double‐faced situation during the episode and, at the end, the perception of global growth as a person, as a team and as a professional.
Implication for nursing management
Nurse managers could play a key role in identifying and preparing nurses in advance to mitigate their concerns and their sense of unpreparedness. The value attributed to nursing care should be promoted both during and after the current COVID‐19 pandemic.
Background
The novel coronavirus brought Intensive Care Units (ICUs) back to their past when they were closed to family members. The difficulties of family caregivers encountered after the ICU discharge might have been increased during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, no traces of their experience have been documented to date. The objective of this study is to explore the everyday life experience of relatives in the first three months after a non-COVID-19 ICU discharge.
Methods
A descriptive qualitative study was conducted in 2020–2021. Two Italian general non-COVID-19 ICUs were approached. Follow-up telephone interviews were conducted three months after the ICU discharge. The study has been conducted according to the COnsolidated criteria for REporting Qualitative research principles.
Results
A total of 14 family members were interviewed. Participants were mostly females (n = 11; 78.6%), with an average age of 53.9 years. After three months of care of their beloved at home, relatives’ experience is summarised in three themes: “Being shaken following the ICU discharge”, as experiencing negative and positive feelings; “Returning to our life that is no longer the same”, as realising that nothing can be as before; and “Feeling powerless due to the COVID-19 pandemic”, given the missed care from community services and the restrictions imposed.
Conclusions
Relatives seem to have experienced a bilateral restriction of opportunities – at the hospital without any engagement in care activities and their limited possibility to visit the ICU, and at home in terms of formal and informal care.
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