Experiences of Nursing Students in the Care for Patients Diagnosed With COVID-19: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

The present study examined the experiences of nursing students in the care of patients diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This qualitative study was performed based on inductive qualitative content analysis in 2020. The samples were 10 nursing students who were selected purposively from the emergency and intensive care unit wards of hospitals affiliated with Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in Iran. Data were collected through semistructured and individual interviews and analyzed simultaneously and continuously by Granheim and Landman inductive qualitative content analysis. Experiences of nursing students in the care for patients with COVID-19 include 3 main categories and 7 subcategories: (a) psychological stress (fear of ward and patients and mental conflict), (b) social isolation (rejection by the family and friends, isolation, and concealment of the workplace), and (c) coping strategies as an adaption strategy (a positive impact of spirituality and an effective role of increasing information). According to the findings of this study, the education system and university administrators can help reduce psychological stress and improve the quality of care in nursing students.