Open AccessFrontline nurses' experiences of working in a COVID‐19 ward–A qualitative study
Author(s) -
Specht Kirsten,
Primdahl Jette,
Jensen Hanne Irene,
Elkjær Mette,
Hoffmann Eva,
Boye Lilian Keene,
Thude Bettina Ravnborg
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
nursing open
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.55
H-Index - 12
ISSN - 2054-1058
DOI - 10.1002/nop2.1013
Subject(s) - covid-19 , interpretation (philosophy) , narrative , pandemic , interpretative phenomenological analysis , qualitative research , psychology , hermeneutic phenomenology , nursing , hermeneutics , medicine , lived experience , sociology , epistemology , psychotherapist , social science , linguistics , philosophy , disease , pathology , virology , outbreak , computer science , infectious disease (medical specialty) , programming language
Aim To explore how nurses experienced working in a newly organized COVID‐19 ward with high‐risk patients during a new and unknown pandemic. Design A qualitative explorative study using a phenomenological‐hermeneutic approach. Methods Semi‐structured individual telephone interviews were conducted in June–July 2020 with 23 nurses working in COVID‐19 wards from three regional hospitals in Denmark. The nurses had been transferred from other departments at their hospital to the newly organized COVID‐19 wards. Data analysis was influenced by Paul Ricoeur's theory of narrative and interpretation, including three analytical levels: naïve reading, structural analysis and critical interpretation and discussion. Results During the structural analysis four themes were generated: (a) Challenging and uncertain situation, but also a positive experience (b) Professional and personal development (c) Lack of nurses' rights during a pandemic (d) Reward in itself or a desire for financial reward.