The Experience of Korean Nurses During the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Outbreak

Abstract

The authors in this article explore the experiences of eight South Korean nurses during an outbreak of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which took place in the fall of 2015. These nurses were mandated to remain in isolation in an intensive care unit (ICU) dedicated to the treatment of the patients with the MERS virus for 7 days. Parse's humanbecoming theory was used to frame the discussion. Three themes found in the nurse's stories are discussed: feeling hopeless and cut off, feeling shame and overworked, and feeling pride in fulfilling a duty. The nurses discuss how they overcame the difficulties of their situation, which ultimately reinforced their identities as nurses.

Beyond the fear: Nurses’ experiences caring for patients with Middle East respiratory syndrome: A phenomenological study

“…Nurses experienced difficulty with nursing work due to the loss of proprioception associated with thick gloves and heavy protective equipment. Nurses also experienced physical symptoms, such as dyspnoea, headache, blurred vision, nausea and vomiting, when wearing personal protective equipment for the first time, as in previous studies (Im et al, 2018;Kim, 2018;Liu & Liehr, 2009;Park et al, 2018). The nurses said that the harsh environment of the temporary negative-pressure isolation room was like a "field hospital" on the battlefield, and expressed that they felt their life was threatened when they were exposed to a confirmed MERS case in an "instantaneous situation."…”

“…Many study showed that nurses felt uncertainty due to fear of MERS, the lack of a treatment policy, the ever-changing guidelines, confusion about how to control the infection and the lack of education about new diseases (Chung, Wong, Suen, & Chung, 2005;Im et al, 2018;Kim, 2018;Park et al, 2018). This increased anxiety and fear in nurses, who need to take care of patients with new infectious diseases (Abolfotouh et al, 2017;Alsubaie et al, 2019;Kim, 2018); the fears of our participants were of a similar nature.…”

“…Nurses faced ethical dilemmas while they experienced frustration, helplessness about not being able to help patients, sympathy for isolated patients and guilt over limiting family members' visits (Chung et al, 2005;Im et al, 2018;Kim, 2018 Participants were criticised from the media and society. The media reported provocative stories or even inaccurate information to attract attention.…”

“…• We highlighted nurses' professional responsibilities and personal fears during crisis situations from their own perspective. protective equipment and medical facilities (Alsubaie et al, 2019;Im et al, 2018;Lam, Kwong, Hung, Pang, & Chiang, 2018).…”

Nurses' experiences of care for patients with Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus in South Korea

“…The experiences of nurses who cared for MERS-CoV patients in Korea were also studied by other researchers. Im et al 25 interviewed 8 intensive care unit nurses who cared for MERS-CoV patients in Korea and identified 3 relevant factors: "feeling hopeless and cut off," "feeling shame and overworked," and "feeling the pride of fulfilling a duty." In addition, when compared to the experiences of nurses who cared for SARS, H1N1, and ebola patients, the experiences of patient care for emerging infectious diseases were similar in terms of nurses' physical and emotional exhaustion, frustration, and fulfillment.…”