Perceptions and Coping Strategies Regarding Professional Risks Among Online Health Care Nurses in Context of Internet...

With the development of Internet Plus Nursing Services (IPNS), nurses are exposed to emerging occupational risks. This qualitative descriptive study explored nurses' perceptions of these risks and the strategies they use to cope with them. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 nurses providing IPNS at a tertiary hospital in Beijing. Thematic analysis identified two themes: a complex risk landscape and a practical blueprint for industry maturation. The risk landscape included inadequate systemic safeguards, threats to personal safety and occupational exposure, uncontrollable clinical procedures, the shifting of risk to individuals, and exposure of digital identity. The blueprint encompassed the need for institutional development, personalized protective tools, professional self-discipline, community-based solutions for medical waste disposal, technical safeguards, and emotional boundary management. The findings suggest that government agencies, platforms, hospitals, and nurses should jointly adopt proactive strategies to promote the safe and sustainable development of IPNS.