Experiences of nursing staff in the intensive therapy unit during the covid-19 pandemic in a public hospital.

Abstract

Introduction: The global health crisis at the end of 2019 caused by the SARS COV-2 virus (Covid-19) has shown the need and importance of having health professionals in adequatenumbers to meet the care needs of the population, where Nursing care has become a challenge in providing direct care to the person, since it requires specialization and high complexity, being necessary to face the growing demand. Objective: To analyze the experiences of nursing staff in the Intensive Care Unit during the Covid-19 pandemic, in a public hospital in the city of Córdoba during the period from 2020 to 2022. Methodology: Qualitative research study, with a phenomenological approach. Semi-structured open interviews were conducted with nursing
professionals. The sample was made up of 6 nurses who focused their work on intensive care in the context of a pandemic at the Public Health Institution of the city of Córdoba. The content analysis method was used, which allowed us to discover the meaning of the narratives provided by the study subjects based on their experiences. Results: The findings obtained were determined based on the specific objectives and were organized into 5 categories. They are “sadness and anguish”, “stress and uncertainty”, “adaptability to changes in professional life”, “feeling of dehumanized care” and “discrimination and rejection”. Conclusion: The results obtained demonstrated that the Nursing Staff experienced situations of high emotional impact such as fear and anguish due to the health crisis they were going through, since they were on the front line fighting the virus. Likewise, it was evident that nursing professionals fully estress and uncertainty regarding professional responsibility during the pandemic, well as adaptability to changes in professional and personal life caused by multiple causes.