Feelings of nursing professionals regarding COVID-19

Abstract

Introduction: COVID-19 affected many nursing professionals who provide care to hospitalized patients, where they experience various feelings that impact their professional work.

Objective: Describe the feelings of nursing professionals facing the COVID-19 pandemic in the Amazon Region, in the year 2020.

Methods: Qualitative study of phenomenological methodological approach; carried out in October 2020. The population was 35 nursing professionals who work in the COVID area in the hospitals of the Amazon Region - Peru, the sample consisted of fifteen nurses, selected by saturation of the data. The data collection technique was the phenomenological interview, the instrument was an interview guide and the collection was carried out with prior informed consent through video calls on WhatsApp and Google Meet. It was used to analyze the data: the description, reduction and phenomenological interpretation.

Results: Three categories were revealed: "Fear of contagion and suffering from death at the beginning of the pandemic", "Changes experienced in the work, family and social environment due to COVID-19 due to biosecurity measures", "Joy at discharge of patients and satisfaction due to professional recognition during the pandemic”.

Conclusions: Nursing professionals who work in the COVID-19 area of hospitals have feelings of fear due to the risk of being infected and infecting their families, in addition to suffering from the loss of patients, they assume their work with responsibility, which generates them satisfaction for what they do and for being nursing professionals.