Milo Razel Bacuetes, Gómez Elvira, Suarez Carol, Calero Patricia, Connelly Cynthia D
Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, Beyster Institute for Nursing Research, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
California State University San Marcos, San Marcos, CA, USA.
SAGE Open Nurs. 2023 Sep 3;9:23779608231196843. doi: 10.1177/23779608231196843. eCollection 2023 Jan-Dec.
Nurses and respiratory therapists working on the frontline during the pandemic surge were short-staffed and worked extended hours while adding new tasks to already demanding workloads. As the world watched news covering COVID-19's effect, nurses and respiratory therapists lived through the daily stress of treating each patient with care, dignity, and compassion. Limited studies have focused on this population, which is vital to providing care and saving lives; research is needed to understand nurses' and respiratory therapists' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study aimed to understand nurses' and respiratory therapists' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A qualitative descriptive study, informed by naturalistic philosophy, was designed to obtain a detailed account of participants' experiences during the pandemic surge. A purposive sample was recruited and enrolled from the community through professional organizations and snowball sampling from December 2021 to September 2022. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis.
Participants were seven registered nurses and six respiratory therapists employed full-time in an intensive care unit, step-down intensive care unit, emergency department, or medical-surgical unit; seven (53.8%) with an associate degree, and six (46.2%) with a bachelor's degree. Eight (66.7%) self-identified as White, one Asian, one non-Hispanic Black, and two Pacific Islanders. The mean age was 40, and 10 (76.9%) were female. Six primary themes emerged: (a) the work-life experience before the COVID-19 pandemic, (b) the work-life experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, (c) the personal life experience during COVID-19, (d) the coping period, (e) the professional role change, and (f) the work and personal life experiences post COVID-19 surge.
The knowledge gained from this study can help improve understanding of the professional quality of life, the need for organizational and community support, and for healthcare professionals to seek help and practice self-care to prevent burnout and secondary traumatic stress.
在疫情高峰期奋战在一线的护士和呼吸治疗师人手短缺，工作时间延长，同时在本就繁重的工作量基础上又增加了新任务。当全世界都在观看有关新冠疫情影响的新闻报道时，护士和呼吸治疗师们却每天都在承受着压力，悉心、有尊严且富有同情心地治疗每一位患者。针对这一对于提供护理和拯救生命至关重要的群体的研究有限；需要开展研究以了解护士和呼吸治疗师在新冠疫情期间的经历。
本研究旨在了解护士和呼吸治疗师在新冠疫情期间的经历。
一项基于自然主义哲学的定性描述性研究旨在详细记述参与者在疫情高峰期的经历。通过专业组织从社区招募了一个目的抽样样本，并于2021年12月至2022年9月通过滚雪球抽样法进行登记。使用主题分析法对数据进行了分析。
参与者包括七名注册护士和六名呼吸治疗师，他们全职受雇于重症监护病房、降级重症监护病房、急诊科或内科外科病房；七人（53.8%）拥有副学士学位，六人（46.2%）拥有学士学位。八人（66.7%）自我认定为白人，一人为亚洲人，一人为非西班牙裔黑人，两人为太平洋岛民。平均年龄为40岁，10人（76.9%）为女性。出现了六个主要主题：（a）新冠疫情之前的工作生活经历，（b）新冠疫情期间的工作生活经历，（c）新冠疫情期间的个人生活经历，（d）应对期，（e）职业角色变化，以及（f）新冠疫情高峰期过后的工作和个人生活经历。
从本研究中获得的知识有助于增进对职业生活质量的理解，认识到组织和社区支持的必要性，以及医疗保健专业人员寻求帮助和进行自我护理以防止倦怠和继发性创伤压力的必要性。
