A "Pivotal Moment": Revisiting COVID-19 Frontline Nurse Experiences and Implications for the Profession

We aimed to describe the experiences of nurses working on the COVID-19 frontlines and make recommendations for change at administrative, institutional, and health policy levels.

We used a qualitative descriptive study design to gather a rich and data-near account of nurses' experiences in their own words.

We conducted 10 semistructured interviews with nurses practicing in emergency departments or intensive care in the United States during the pandemic. Using Sandelowski's method, we independently coded data and identified emerging themes through an iterative process.

Most nurses worked in Indiana, were in their 20s, and had less than 5 years of experience (range, 1.5-23 years; mean, 6.2 years). Five themes about pandemic nursing challenges emerged: (1) Shortages, (2) The Public's View of Nursing, (3) Death and Moral Conflict, (4) Emotional Toll, and (5) Unrealistic Expectations. Nurses reported wide-scaling challenges, which interfered with their ability to deliver high-quality patient care and impacted their mental and emotional well-being.

Nurses faced significant challenges, and in many cases, the pandemic exacerbated existing issues in the healthcare system. In the aftermath of the pandemic, there remains a critical need for change at administrative, institutional, and health policy levels to support nurses and invest in the sustainability of the profession.