Experiences and Professional Challenges of Nurses Caring for Patiens Infected with COVID-19

U životima medicinskih djelatnika u vrijeme COVID-19 pandemije došlo je do velikih promjena. Njima su posebno bile pogođene medicinske sestre koje rade na prvoj crti obrane od virusa. One su se suočile s brojnim izazovima poput promjena u organizaciji rada, svakodnevnim etičkim izazovima i poteškoćama vezanim za dostupnost informacija što može dovesti do negativnih psiholoških ishoda poput tjeskobe, depresivnosti, visokih razina stresa i drugih poteškoća povezanih sa stresom i traumom. Međutim, resursi poput psihološke otpornosti, pozitivnih strategija suočavanja sa stresom i organizacijske podrške mogu zaštititi medicinske sestre od razvoja negativnih psiholoških posljedica ili ublažiti utjecaj povećanih zahtjeva posla. Zbog malog broja istraživanja ove specifične populacije u kontekstu pandemije u Hrvatskoj, namjere za ispitivanjem širokog raspona iskustava i potreba za dobivanjem smjernica za osmišljanjem psihosocijalnih intervencija, cilj ovoga istraživanja bio je kvalitativnim pristupom ispitati iskustva medicinskih sestara koje su se tijekom pandemije COVID-19 brinule za oboljele pacijente. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 11 medicinskih sestara s kojima su provedeni polustrukturirani kvalitativni intervjui. Tematskom analizom dobivene su tri glavne teme – posao medicinske sestre u vrijeme pandemije, emocionalni odgovori te psihološka podrška i suočavanje. U životima sudionica pojavili su se izazovi u vidu velikog radnog opterećenja, poteškoća u organizaciji posla i u radu s kolegama te rada s teško bolesnim i umirućim pacijentima. Oni su dovodili do različitih pozitivnih i negativnih emocija poput osnaženosti, zahvalnosti, straha i zabrinutosti, depresivnosti i frustracije. Unatoč dostupnosti i percipiranoj potrebi, nisu koristile usluge psihološke podrške, već im je glavna strategija suočavanja bila dobivanje socijalne podrške od kolega.The lives of medical workers during the COVID-19 pandemic have undergone major changes. Nurses working on the first line of defense against the virus were particularly affected. They faced challenges such as changes in the work organization, ethical challenges and difficulties related to the availability of information, which can lead to negative psychological outcomes such as anxiety, depression, distress, and other difficulties related to stress and trauma. However, resources such as psychological resilience, positive stress-coping strategies, and organizational support can protect nurses from developing negative psychological consequences or mitigate the impact of increased job demands. Due to the small number of studies, the intention to examine a wide range of experiences and the need to obtain guidelines for the design of psychosocial interventions, the aim of this study was to use a qualitative approach to examine the experiences of nurses caring for patients infected with COVID-19. Eleven nurses participated in the research, with whom semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted. Three main themes were obtained through thematic analysis - the work of a nurse during a pandemic, emotional responses and psychological support and coping. Challenges in the lives of the participants included heavy workload, difficulties in organizing work and working with colleagues, and working with seriously ill and dying patients. They led to positive and negative emotions such as empowerment, gratitude, fear and anxiety, depression, and frustration. Despite the availability and perceived need, they did not use psychological support services, but their main coping strategy was getting social support from colleagues