الملخص الإنجليزي
Background:
In the past years, COVID-19 has become part of people's everyday talk at the level of
individuals, health care workers and governments. The story started in Wuhan City
in December 2019, when the first case was diagnosed with Coronavirus (COVID-19)
disease (WHO, 2020). Covid-19 is an infectious disease caused by a novel coronavirus
called SARS-Cov-2 which mainly affects human respiratory system.
Aim:
The purpose of the current study was to explore the lived experience of ICU nurses who
work with patients diagnosed with Covid-19 at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman. More
specifically, the study aimed to explore the everyday challenges faced by ICU nurses who
work with Covid-19 patients and to explore the coping strategies of these nurses.
Method:
The current study adopted a qualitative approach using an Interpretive Phenomenological
Analysis method. A purposive sampling technique was adopted to recruit the 14 Omani
ICU nurses who participated in the in-depth semi-structured interviews that were conducted
via the phone. All the participants worked at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital. Each
interview lasted from 60 to120 minutes. The interviews were recorded using a USB
recorder.
Results:
Four major themes emerged from the data analysis: ''Life changes'', ''Challenges of the
journey'', ''Support system'', and ''Happy end journey''. Four sub-themes were extracted in
relation to 'Life changes'; namely, psychological changes, physical burden, social changes,
as well as self-changes. As far as the 'Challenges of the journey' are concerned, the
following sub-themes were identified: unsupportive media and struggling with providing
care and inadequate organizational support. In relation to the 'Support system' four sub themes were extracted from the data, specifically self-support, family support, public
support, and organizational support. Finally, life became predictable again, learning from
the experience and advice for the future were the sub-themes identified in relation to the
"Happy end journey theme".
The ICU nurses had different lived experiences while working with patients who were
diagnosed with Covid-19. They reported various types of psychological changes such as
busy minds, sleep disturbances, and several other complex affective experiences such as
feeling of stress, anxious, sadness, fear, disappointment, and emotional exhaustion. They
reported experiencing physical burden such as physical tiredness, exhaustion, lower back
pain, and foot swelling. The ICU nurses also reported some social changes such as changes
in the relationship with children and spouses, as they became more careful, caring and
protective. Some of the changes the nurses experienced during the pandemic included
thought changes, isolation, more caution, and changes in the daily life routine. In addition,
during the pandemic, the ICU nurses faced some challenges that were linked to the media
and organization. However, the nurses created different types of positive coping strategies
to overcome those challenges which included talking to others, expressing feelings,
engaging in many labour activities at home, sharing the workload at the workplace,
engaging in team work, managing time well, and believing in victory.
Conclusion:
The ICU nurses complained from several life changes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
They went through various types of challenges. However, they developed several positive
coping strategies to face them. Therefore, the need for a bio-psychological program is
highly required to prepare the nurses for future pandemics and to ensure their well-being.
