Covid-19 and personal protective equipment: The experience of nurses engaged in care of Sars-Cov-2 patients: A phenomenological study.

AIM

The study aims to explore the experiences of nurses who have worked in Covid-19 wards providing care for Covid-19 patients.

BACKGROUND

During the Covid-19 pandemic, personal protective equipment (PPE) was considered an effective and guaranteed protective measure.

METHODS

This is a descriptive qualitative study with thematically analysed interviews. Twelve nurses working (specify context) were interviewed.

RESULT

Three themes emerged from interviews: (1) confidence with PPE used during the Covid-19 crisis, (2) training in the use of PPE and (3) technical requirements for PPE.

CONCLUSIONS

This study clarified the importance of PPE quality and choice in establishing comfort for nurses and providing better patient care. These results could suggest useful elements to improve the PPE products by making them more comfortable for health care workers.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Our results are important to promote and suggest prevention measures that are as comfortable and suitable as possible for health workers involved in the Covid-19 emergency, and also for potential future similar crises.