Challenges Experienced by ICU Nurses Throughout the Provision of Care for COVID-19 Patients: A Qualitative Study

Overview

Journal J Nurs Manag

Specialty Nursing

Date 2021 Jan 22

PMID 33480145

Citations 64

Authors

Yaser Moradi

Rahim Baghaei

Keyvan Hosseingholipour

Farzin Mollazadeh

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Aim: To explore the challenges experienced by ICU nurses throughout the provision of care for COVID-19 patients.

Background: The intensive care unit nurses, who are at the frontline of fighting against COVID-19 and defusing this crisis, are faced with various challenges throughout the provision of care for COVID-19 patients.

Methods: In this qualitative descriptive study, a total of 17 nurses working in intensive care units were selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected using semi-structured face-to-face interviews. After recording and transcribing interviews, the concepts were extracted using the content analysis method.

Findings: The nurses reported the four following challenges throughout the provision of care for COVID-19 patients: 'organization's inefficiency in supporting nurses', 'physical exhaustion', 'living with uncertainty' and 'psychological burden of the disease'.

Conclusion: The present study portrayed a clear understanding of the challenges faced by nurses working in intensive care units during the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic based on their lived experiences.

Implications For Nursing Management: A profound understanding of these challenges in the current critical situation can help health care authorities adopt appropriate measures to resolve these challenges, provide health care facilities, support the health workforce, give accurate and evidence-based information and perform psychological interventions on how to handle the current crisis.

Citing Articles

Nurses' Experiences at the Intensive Care Unit for COVID-19 in Indonesia: A Study of Hermeneutic Phenomenology.

Mailani F, Huriani E, Krisdianto B, Oktarina E Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res. 2025; 30(1):25-33.

PMID: 40052038 PMC: 11881967. DOI: 10.4103/ijnmr.ijnmr_447_21.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental coping and emergency ability of public health emergency in COVID-19 department healthcare workers in ICU nurses of Beijing in China.

Gai T, He Y, Yin Y, Cui Y, Li Q, Hu Y BMC Nurs. 2025; 24(1):89.

PMID: 39856601 PMC: 11762515. DOI: 10.1186/s12912-024-02536-1.

Care intertwined with anxiety and helplessness: the experiences of ICU nurses from COVID-19 disease's end of life-a qualitative study.

Asadi N, Royani Z, Pourkhajoei S BMJ Open. 2025; 15(1):e087329.

PMID: 39843377 PMC: 11784321. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-087329.

AI Interventions to Alleviate Healthcare Shortages and Enhance Work Conditions in Critical Care: Qualitative Analysis.

Bienefeld N, Keller E, Grote G J Med Internet Res. 2025; 27:e50852.

PMID: 39805110 PMC: 11773285. DOI: 10.2196/50852.

Knowledge, attitudes, practice, and perceived barriers toward evidence-based practice among Palestinian nurses in intensive care units.

Dabak Z, Toqan D, Malak M, Al-Amer R, Ayed A BMC Nurs. 2024; 23(1):950.

PMID: 39716237 PMC: 11668080. DOI: 10.1186/s12912-024-02646-w.

References

Maben J, Bridges J . Covid-19: Supporting nurses' psychological and mental health. J Clin Nurs. 2020; 29(15-16):2742-2750. PMC: 7264545. DOI: 10.1111/jocn.15307. View

Maunder R, Hunter J, Vincent L, Bennett J, Peladeau N, Leszcz M . The immediate psychological and occupational impact of the 2003 SARS outbreak in a teaching hospital. CMAJ. 2003; 168(10):1245-51. PMC: 154178. View

Park S, Park Y . Mental Health Care Measures in Response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak in Korea. Psychiatry Investig. 2020; 17(2):85-86. PMC: 7047003. DOI: 10.30773/pi.2020.0058. View

Chen S, Lai Y, Tsay S . Nursing Perspectives on the Impacts of COVID-19. J Nurs Res. 2020; 28(3):e85. DOI: 10.1097/NRJ.0000000000000389. View

Wong J, Leo Y, Tan C . COVID-19 in Singapore-Current Experience: Critical Global Issues That Require Attention and Action. JAMA. 2020; 323(13):1243-1244. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2020.2467. View

Moradi Y, Baghaei R, Hosseingholipour K, Mollazadeh F . Challenges experienced by ICU nurses throughout the provision of care for COVID-19 patients: A qualitative study. J Nurs Manag. 2021; 29(5):1159-1168. PMC: 8014737. DOI: 10.1111/jonm.13254. View

Musau J, Baumann A, Kolotylo C, OShea T, Bialachowski A . Infectious disease outbreaks and increased complexity of care. Int Nurs Rev. 2015; 62(3):404-11. DOI: 10.1111/inr.12188. View

Sun N, Wei L, Shi S, Jiao D, Song R, Ma L . A qualitative study on the psychological experience of caregivers of COVID-19 patients. Am J Infect Control. 2020; 48(6):592-598. PMC: 7141468. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2020.03.018. View

Sandelowski M . What's in a name? Qualitative description revisited. Res Nurs Health. 2009; 33(1):77-84. DOI: 10.1002/nur.20362. View

10.

Turale S, Meechamnan C, Kunaviktikul W . Challenging times: ethics, nursing and the COVID-19 pandemic. Int Nurs Rev. 2020; 67(2):164-167. PMC: 7361611. DOI: 10.1111/inr.12598. View

11.

Graneheim U, LUNDMAN B . Qualitative content analysis in nursing research: concepts, procedures and measures to achieve trustworthiness. Nurse Educ Today. 2004; 24(2):105-12. DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2003.10.001. View

12.

See K, Zhao M, Nakataki E, Chittawatanarat K, Fang W, Faruq M . Professional burnout among physicians and nurses in Asian intensive care units: a multinational survey. Intensive Care Med. 2018; 44(12):2079-2090. DOI: 10.1007/s00134-018-5432-1. View

13.

Im S, Baumann S, Ahn M, Kim H, Youn B, Park M . The Experience of Korean Nurses During the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Outbreak. Nurs Sci Q. 2017; 31(1):72-76. PMC: 8261346. DOI: 10.1177/0894318417741119. View

14.

Kang H, Son Y, Chae S, Corte C . Working experiences of nurses during the Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak. Int J Nurs Pract. 2018; 24(5):e12664. PMC: 7165521. DOI: 10.1111/ijn.12664. View

15.

Liu S, Yang L, Zhang C, Xiang Y, Liu Z, Hu S . Online mental health services in China during the COVID-19 outbreak. Lancet Psychiatry. 2020; 7(4):e17-e18. PMC: 7129099. DOI: 10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30077-8. View

16.

Lam K, Hung S . Perceptions of emergency nurses during the human swine influenza outbreak: a qualitative study. Int Emerg Nurs. 2012; 21(4):240-6. PMC: 7118452. DOI: 10.1016/j.ienj.2012.08.008. View

17.

Lee S, Kang W, Cho A, Kim T, Park J . Psychological impact of the 2015 MERS outbreak on hospital workers and quarantined hemodialysis patients. Compr Psychiatry. 2018; 87:123-127. PMC: 7094631. DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2018.10.003. View

18.

Liu C, Wang H, Zhou L, Xie H, Yang H, Yu Y . Sources and symptoms of stress among nurses in the first Chinese anti-Ebola medical team during the Sierra Leone aid mission: A qualitative study. Int J Nurs Sci. 2019; 6(2):187-191. PMC: 6608674. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnss.2019.03.007. View

19.

Shen X, Zou X, Zhong X, Yan J, Li L . Psychological stress of ICU nurses in the time of COVID-19. Crit Care. 2020; 24(1):200. PMC: 7202793. DOI: 10.1186/s13054-020-02926-2. View

20.

Koh Y, Hegney D, Drury V . Nurses' perceptions of risk from emerging respiratory infectious diseases: a Singapore study. Int J Nurs Pract. 2012; 18(2):195-204. PMC: 7165875. DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-172X.2012.02018.x. View