The Challenges of Nurses Who Care for COVID-19 Patients: A Qualitative Study

This study, which had a qualitative research design, was conducted to identify the challenges experienced by nurses who care for patients diagnosed with COVID-19. The nurses providing one-to-one care to patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in various hospitals in Turkey constituted the population of this study. The maximum variation sampling method was used to determine the sample in the research. In the sample selection, the provinces and hospitals were selected by drawing lots. The sample of the study consisted of 15 nurses who worked in different hospitals in different regions of Turkey, performed one-to-one care of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between March and April 2020, volunteered to participate in the study, and agreed to be interviewed by the researcher. SRQR guidelines were followed in reporting the study. As a result of the study, 7 difficulties, or 7 themes, were identified. These themes include anxiety and fear of being infected, change in the family order, performing patient care with fear, perception of stigma in society, questioning the nurse's place within the health system, difficulty working with personal protective equipment, and physical damage caused by equipment.