Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore.
Int J Ment Health Nurs. 2021 Jun;30(3):643-652. doi: 10.1111/inm.12826. Epub 2020 Dec 5.
Given Singapore's high population density and extensive geographical interconnections, it is unsurprising that the country reported one of the highest numbers of COVID-19 cases in Asia. Past pandemic studies have suggested that nurses working in such crises might experience a deterioration of mental health, which could persist for years beyond the initial outbreak. This study used a qualitative descriptive design to explore nurses' experiences of working in tertiary hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 17 registered nurses who had worked for at least one year prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic were recruited from a University Health System in Singapore from March to June 2020. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews lasting at least an hour conducted over an online platform by the principal investigator. The data were analysed through Braun and Clarke's six-step thematic analysis independently by two researchers. Three main themes emerged: (i) challenging moments of COVID-19, during which the participants reported physical and psychological challenges relating to working conditions of the hospital in the initial months of the pandemic; (ii) the professional role as nurses, in where the participants dispelled their worries and demonstrated commitment to their role as nurses; and (iii) support for nurses, which originated from their family, friends and leaders from their organizations for them to persevere and overcome the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19. The nurses in this study demonstrated resilience and professionalism despite the challenges of COVID-19. The findings highlighted the importance of a robust support system for healthcare professionals.
鉴于新加坡人口密度高且地域互联互通广泛，该国报告的亚洲 COVID-19 病例数最高之一并不令人意外。过去的大流行研究表明，在这种危机中工作的护士可能会经历心理健康恶化，这种情况可能会持续多年，甚至超出最初的爆发。本研究采用定性描述设计，探讨了护士在 COVID-19 大流行期间在三级医院工作的经验。2020 年 3 月至 6 月，从新加坡大学卫生系统招募了 17 名在 COVID-19 大流行开始前至少工作一年的注册护士。通过由主要研究者在在线平台上进行的至少一个小时的半结构化访谈收集数据。两名研究人员独立使用 Braun 和 Clarke 的六步主题分析对数据进行分析。出现了三个主要主题：(i) COVID-19 的挑战时刻，在此期间，参与者报告了与大流行最初几个月医院工作条件有关的身体和心理挑战；(ii)作为护士的专业角色，参与者消除了他们的担忧，并表现出对护士角色的承诺；以及 (iii)护士的支持，来自他们的家人、朋友和组织领导，以帮助他们坚持并克服 COVID-19 的前所未有的挑战。尽管面临 COVID-19 的挑战，本研究中的护士表现出了韧性和专业性。研究结果强调了为医疗保健专业人员建立强大支持系统的重要性。
