Exploring the lived experiences of nurses working in the COVID-19 ward of Shahid Sadoughi Hospital, Yazd, Iran: A qualitative study

Introduction: The outbreak of COVID-19 has created a global health emergency worldwide due to its rapid transmission, which is a notable feature of the virus. This contagious disease leads to physical health problems and several psychological disorders. Nurses are at the forefront of fighting against this disease, so this study was attempted to discover the lived experiences of nurses working in the COVID-19 wards. Mateials and Methods: This qualitative research was performed using descriptive phenomenological approach. The participants were selected among nurses working in the COVID-19 ward of Shahid Sadoughi Hospital, Yazd, Iran. For data collection, semi-structured interviews were conducted. After conducting 20 interviews, data saturation was achieved. Then,the interviews were transcribed verbatim. For data analysis, Colaizii's seven-step method and MaxiCuda software were used. Results: After extracting the concepts and analyzing them, 35 categories and nine main categories were extracted.The Main categories were coping strategy and cognitive tolerance, service under pressure, psychological burden and Physical disorder, communication quality, dual challenges and symptoms of weakening and pressure, judgmental and perceptual style, enjoyable expensiveness, adaptive and reinforcing protection, detailed identity and positive sign. Conclusion: Nurses working in COVID-19 ward experienced unfavorable mental, emotional, and occupational conditions. They need more support and equipment to care for themselves and COVID-19 patients. This research can be used to develop supportive strategies and services for an emerging epidemic.