Nurse's Psychological Experience in Treating COVID-19 Patients at the Karangmalang Health Center, Sragen, Central Java

Abstract

Background: An increase in the amount and intensity of work was inevitable for nurses during the pandemic. In addition, they had to get accustomed to risks, practices, and new protocols. Some studies have pointed to higher rates of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among nurses during and after the pandemics compared to other health care professionals. This situation required close attention to the physical, psychological, and social requirements of nurses working under extremely stressful conditions, ensuring the advancement of nursing work. This study aimed to identify the frontline nurses psychological experience in treating covid-19 patients.

Subjects and Method: This was a qualitative study with phenomenology approach. Nine nurses caring for COVID-19 participated as key informants. In-depth interviews were conducted and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Data analysis in phenomenological studies uses three stages, namely data reduction, data presentation, conclusion drawing and verification.

Results: Fear, worry, anxiety, depression, and other negative psychological experiences were common among nurses during COVID-19. Nurse had experiencing negative psychological consequences because they were working with real risk of being infected and in the special working environment with heavy equipment. As a result of negative news reports and other reasons, the grim situation and unknowns about the disease made nurses hypochondriac, worried that protection was not sufficiently safe. Some of the nurses also stated that they hesitated while providing care to the patients because of the fear of contamination and felt guilty because they believed that they were unable to provide adequate care. These conditions gave nurses great psychological pressure. Nurses need support from multiple sources. Social, institutional, and mutual support are critical to improving the state of mind.

Conclusion: Sufficient social support was a potentioal factors for developing positive psychological consequences among healthcare professionals and providers during pandemic. Their safety should be a priority, and they should be appropriately rewarded to provide positive support when a similar situation occurs in the future.