Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2023
Journal Title
SAGE Open Nursing
Volume Number
9
First Page
1
Last Page
10
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/23779608231196843
Version
Publisher PDF: the final published version of the article, with professional formatting and typesetting
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a CC BY-NC License
Disciplines
Nursing
Abstract
Introduction
Nurses and respiratory therapists working on the frontline during the pandemic surge were short-staffed and worked extended hours while adding new tasks to already demanding workloads. As the world watched news covering COVID-19's effect, nurses and respiratory therapists lived through the daily stress of treating each patient with care, dignity, and compassion. Limited studies have focused on this population, which is vital to providing care and saving lives; research is needed to understand nurses’ and respiratory therapists’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Objective
The study aimed to understand nurses’ and respiratory therapists’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods
A qualitative descriptive study, informed by naturalistic philosophy, was designed to obtain a detailed account of participants’ experiences during the pandemic surge. A purposive sample was recruited and enrolled from the community through professional organizations and snowball sampling from December 2021 to September 2022. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis.
Results
Participants were seven registered nurses and six respiratory therapists employed full-time in an intensive care unit, step-down intensive care unit, emergency department, or medical-surgical unit; seven (53.8%) with an associate degree, and six (46.2%) with a bachelor's degree. Eight (66.7%) self-identified as White, one Asian, one non-Hispanic Black, and two Pacific Islanders. The mean age was 40, and 10 (76.9%) were female. Six primary themes emerged: (a) the work–life experience before the COVID-19 pandemic, (b) the work–life experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, (c) the personal life experience during COVID-19, (d) the coping period, (e) the professional role change, and (f) the work and personal life experiences post COVID-19 surge.
Conclusion
The knowledge gained from this study can help improve understanding of the professional quality of life, the need for organizational and community support, and for healthcare professionals to seek help and practice self-care to prevent burnout and secondary traumatic stress.
Digital USD Citation
Milo, Razel Bacuetes; Gómez, Elvira; Suarez, Carol; Calero, Patricia; and Connelly, Cynthia, "Nurses and Respiratory Therapists Lived Experience During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study" (2023). School of Nursing and Health Science: Faculty Scholarship. 38.
https://digital.sandiego.edu/nursing_facpub/38