Nurses' Perceptions of Ethical Conflicts When Caring for Patients with COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Nursing Ethics
• Pandemic Response
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented ethical challenges for healthcare professionals.
• Nurses, particularly those on the frontlines, experienced conflicts between patient care decisions and their personal ethical values.
• Understanding these ethical dilemmas and coping mechanisms is crucial for supporting nursing staff during health crises.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the perceptions and ethical conflicts encountered by frontline nurses during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To identify the primary coping strategies employed by nurses to manage these ethical challenges.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative phenomenological study utilizing Giorgi's descriptive phenomenological approach.
• Data collection through semi-structured interviews with 14 nurses from inpatient and intensive care units.
• Analysis of interview data using Giorgi's phenomenological method with Atlas-Ti software.

Main Results:

• Two major themes emerged: ethical conflicts at personal and professional levels, and diverse coping strategies.
• Identified coping strategies included continuous learning, peer support, teamwork, focusing on care, and psychological acceptance.
• Professional commitment, teamwork, humanization of care, and education were key factors in managing ethical conflicts.

Conclusions:

• Frontline nurses experienced substantial ethical conflicts during the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting both personal and professional domains.
• Effective coping strategies involve a combination of individual resilience, professional support systems, and adaptive learning.
• There is a critical need for institutional support, including psychological and emotional resources, to address the ethical burdens faced by nurses.