Pandemic Footprints of Nursing Professionals: Processing Early Experiences

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Qualitative Research
• Pandemic Studies

Background:

• Early pandemic (March 2020) presented unprecedented challenges for frontline healthcare workers.
• Registered nurses (RNs) pursuing baccalaureate (RN-BSN) education simultaneously managed critical care demands and academic responsibilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To interpret the journaled experiences of RNs working at the bedside during the initial phase of the pandemic.
• To understand the impact of early pandemic experiences on RNs enrolled in RN-BSN programs.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative interpretive descriptive study utilizing purposive sampling.
• Analysis of 15 de-identified journals from RN students.
• Thematic coding guided by Thorne's interpretive description, ensuring trustworthiness and rigor through collaborative analysis.

Main Results:

• Key themes identified: Physical Threats to Safety, Emotional Threats to Safety, Workplace Culture, Healing Energies, and Professional Identity.
• The study captured nurses' immediate, unfiltered experiences at the "brink" of the global health crisis.
• Illuminated dichotomies in perceived safety and security, impacting nurses personally and professionally.

Conclusions:

• This study offers a unique perspective from the earliest stages of the pandemic, distinct from later research.
• Journal reflections highlighted profound imprints on professional identity, extending beyond clinical settings.
• Early pandemic experiences created significant dichotomies affecting nurses' sense of safety and security.