The psychological impact on frontline nurses in Spain of caring for people with COVID-19

• Published in: Archives of psychiatric nursing Vol. 41; pp. 27 - 34
• Main Authors: Rodríguez-Martín, Beatriz, Ramírez-Moreno, José María, Caro-Alonso, Pedro Ángel, Novo, André, Martínez-Andrés, María, Clavijo-Chamorro, María Zoraida, Rodríguez-Almagro, Julián, López-Espuela, Fidel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-12-2022
• Subjects: Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders; Coping; COVID-19; Humans; Male; Nurse; Pandemics; Psychological; Qualitative research; SARS-COV-2; Spain; Spain; COVID-19; Psychological; Qualitative research; Coping; SARS-COV-2; Nurse
• ISSN: 0883-9417; 1532-8228
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apnu.2022.07.022

To understand the perceptions of National Health System nurses who have been working on the frontline of the psychological impact of caring for people with COVID-19 during the first and second waves.
A qualitative study, the design and analysis of which was based on phenomenology. For data collection, a semi-structured interview was administered to a sample of nurses who worked on the frontline in public hospitals in Extremadura and Madrid, Spain. The interviews, which followed a script including various topics, were conducted between May and November 2020 so as to include the experiences of the first and second waves of the pandemic. Sample collection continued until data saturation. The data were analysed following the phenomenological method of Giorgi with the help of the Atlas-Ti software.
Two main themes emerged from the data analysis that explained the nurses' perceptions: (i) the main psychological repercussions of being frontline carers (anxiety, fear, stress, impotence, frustration, and an increase in obsessions and obsessive behaviours) and (ii) psychological coping strategies (collapse in the face of the situation, dissociative amnesia, leaning on colleagues and working as a team, resigning oneself, perceiving the situation as a war, and being aware of psychological repercussions).
Caring as the first line causes great psychological repercussions for nurses. It is necessary to implement psychological and emotional support programmes to address the post-traumatic stress that nurses can suffer.
•Nurses, through experience on the frontline, have acquired the skills and competencies to care for people with COVID-19.•Previous studies have analysed the repercussions for healthcare professionals who work on the frontline.•Few qualitative studies have analysed nurses' experience during this emerging pandemic and healthcare crisis.•Nurses' experiences suggested that caring for COVID-19 patients has serious psychological repercussions for nurses.•Health policies should focus not only on patients but also on health professionals on the frontline, especially nurses.