St. David's Round Rock Medical Center, 2400 Round Rock Avenue, Round Rock, TX 78681, USA.
University of Texas at Austin, School of Nursing, 1710 Red River Street, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
Appl Nurs Res. 2021 Jun;59:151418. doi: 10.1016/j.apnr.2021.151418. Epub 2021 Mar 11.
Due to a lack of literature about US critical care nurses caring for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the aim of this study was to examine their experiences caring for these patients.
COVID-19 placed nurses at the forefront of battling this pandemic in the intensive care unit (ICU). Emerging international evidence suggests nurses experience psychological and physical symptoms as a result of caring for these patients.
A qualitative descriptive design was used. Using purposive sampling, 11 nurses from one ICU participated in semi-structured interviews. Interviews were recorded and coded; data were analyzed using content analysis. An audit trail was maintained and member checking was employed.
The experiences among critical care nurses caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were categorized into five themes and subthemes. Emotions experienced was subcategorized into anxiety/stress, fear, helplessness, worry, and empathy. Physical symptoms was subcategorized into sleep disturbances, headaches, discomfort, exhaustion, and breathlessness. Care environment challenges was subcategorized into nurse as surrogate, inability to provide human comforting connection, patients dying, personal protective equipment (PPE), isolation, care delay, changing practice guidelines, and language barrier. Social effects was subcategorized into stigma, divergent healthcare hero perception, additional responsibilities, strained interactions with others, and isolation/loneliness. Short term coping strategies was subcategorized into co-worker support, family support, distractions, mind/body wellness, and spiritualty/faith.
ICU nurses are experiencing intense psychological and physical effects as a result of caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in a challenging care environment. Outside of work, nurses faced pandemic-induced societal changes and divergent public perceptions of them.
由于缺乏关于美国重症监护护士照顾 2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）患者的文献，本研究旨在探讨他们照顾这些患者的经验。
COVID-19 使护士在重症监护病房（ICU）处于抗击这一流行病的最前线。新兴的国际证据表明，护士因照顾这些患者而出现心理和生理症状。
采用定性描述设计。通过目的抽样，11 名来自 1 个 ICU 的护士参加了半结构式访谈。访谈进行了录音和编码；使用内容分析法对数据进行分析。保留了审计跟踪并采用了成员检查。
照顾被诊断患有 COVID-19 的患者的重症监护护士的经验分为五个主题和子主题。所经历的情绪分为焦虑/压力、恐惧、无助、担忧和同情。身体症状分为睡眠障碍、头痛、不适、疲惫和呼吸急促。护理环境挑战分为护士作为替代者、无法提供人性化的安慰、患者死亡、个人防护设备（PPE）、隔离、护理延迟、不断变化的实践指南和语言障碍。社会影响分为耻辱感、不同的医疗英雄认知、额外的责任、与他人的紧张互动以及隔离/孤独感。短期应对策略分为同事支持、家庭支持、分心、身心保健和精神信仰。
由于在充满挑战的护理环境中照顾被诊断患有 COVID-19 的患者，ICU 护士正在经历强烈的心理和生理影响。在工作之外，护士面临着大流行带来的社会变化以及公众对他们的不同看法。
