Exploring Intensive Care Unit Nurses' Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Research Study.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Research
• Healthcare Worker Well-being
• Pandemic Preparedness

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic imposed significant demands and adversities on intensive care unit (ICU) nurses, impacting their well-being.
• Developing resilience strategies was essential for ICU nurses to navigate these challenges.
• Nurses' mental health and well-being were significantly affected by pandemic-related stressors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the resilience-promoting strategies employed by ICU nurses.
• To understand how ICU nurses coped with the increased stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To identify effective coping mechanisms for healthcare professionals during public health crises.

Main Methods:

• A focused ethnographical approach guided the research.
• Purposive sampling recruited nurses from adult ICUs who cared for COVID-19 patients.
• Semistructured interviews were conducted online, and data were analyzed systematically.

Main Results:

• Three main categories of strategies were identified: changes in coping, individual resilience, and workplace strategies.
• Individual resilience strategies encompassed physical and mental health-focused approaches.
• The study highlighted the multifaceted nature of resilience in critical care nursing.

Conclusions:

• Understanding ICU nurses' resilience strategies is vital for developing interventions.
• Supportive strategies can enhance healthcare workers' mental health during future public health emergencies.
• Policymakers and organizations can utilize these findings to bolster support systems for frontline workers.