Post-traumatic growth following the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative phenomenological study of Iranian ICU nurses

During the COVID-19 pandemic, intensive care unit (ICU) nurses faced severe psychological, ethical, and physical challenges. Although many studies have focused on the negative consequences of this crisis, there is scant evidence regarding the positive dimensions of nurses' experience and Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG), especially in spirituality-centered and collectivist cultural contexts like Iran. This study aimed to explore the experiences of PTG among Iranian ICU nurses in the final stages of the pandemic.

This qualitative study employed a descriptive phenomenological approach and Colaizzi's 7-step method. Ten ICU nurses from two hospitals in Northeast Iran were purposefully selected. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured, face-to-face interviews between September 2022 and March 2023. Upon reaching saturation, the data were manually analyzed based on the Colaizzi steps.

Data analysis led to the extraction of five main themes and sixteen sub-themes. The main themes included: (1) Spirituality, (2) Resilience, (3) Cognitive Reconstruction, (4) Transformation of Social Role, and (5) Sustainable Healthy Lifestyle. These themes illustrate the experience of PTG across multiple dimensions, including spiritual, individual, professional, and social transformations among nurses following exposure to the crisis.

Nurses were able to transform the suffering and pressures of the COVID-19 period into opportunities for strengthening spirituality, personal growth, and professional development. Culture-centric factors such as spirituality, collective solidarity, and ethical commitment played a significant role in shaping PTG. These findings emphasize the necessity of reinforcing spiritual care, psycho-social support, and transformative learning-based education in nursing programs to enhance preparedness for future crises.

Not applicable.