Instructive Messages and Lessons From Chinese Countermarching Nurses of Caring for COVID-19 Patients: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Introduction: The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on January 31, 2020. China was the first country to experience the challenges of controlling COVID-19. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of Chinese nurses who countermarched to the outbreak city for medical support in the very first period of this global infection. Methodology: A qualitative study of phenomenological research design was used to describe the experiences of 10 Chinese nurses. Data were collected in February 2020 through in-depth interviews and analyzed by conventional content analysis methods. Results: Chinese nurses experienced different psychological stages, work pressure, and challenges. New concepts of nursing also emerged during their clinical care for COVID-19 patients. Discussion: The guidance synthesized from the Chinese nurse stories could give specific direction for a well-prepared global nursing workforce and high-quality patient care in the present and future epidemics. The worries about discrimination of COVID-19 patients’ needs to be addressed culturally and emotionally as a priority by health care workers when they care for COVID-19 patients.

Nurses’ barriers to caring for patients with COVID‐19: a qualitative systematic review

“…Data collection methods included semistructured, one‐on‐one, and in‐depth interviews. Several studies used video calls, smartphone applications, or telephone calls for their interviews (He et al 2020; Kackin et al 2020; Zhang et al 2020). Four different analytical methods were utilized: thematic analysis ( n = 1), category analysis ( n = 1), content analysis ( n = 2), and Colaizzi analysis ( n = 5).…”

“…First, nurses in every study reported shortages in personal protective equipment (PPE), equipment such as protective masks and hand sanitizer that is essential to protecting healthcare workers who deliver direct care to patients with COVID‐19 (Kacken et al 2020). In He et al (2020), nurses worked without PPE altogether or with inadequate PPE. Nurses in Schroeder et al (2020) reported that they reused their masks and gowns because they did not have enough supplies.…”

“…Hospitals constructed temporary wards to accommodate these patients. One nurse thought that the temporary ward at her hospital made providing quality care a challenge (He et al 2020).…”

“…Nurses reported being particularly concerned about their children and parents. Several studies reported that nurses worried that they could not fulfil their family roles, such as by spending energy or time with their children and family members (He et al 2020; Kackin et al 2020). In Sheng et al (2020), a nurse said that she is afraid to transmit the virus to her children.…”

“…Nurses also reported that COVID-19 patients, worried about death, isolation, and social stigma, required more psychological support care than usual care (He et al 2020). Kackin et al (2020) reported that nurses had to provide more attentive care to patients with COVID-19 than usual care (He et al 2020;Kackin et al 2020).…”