The Lived Experience of Emergency Department Nurses During the First Surge of the COVID-19 Pandemic a Qualitative Phenomenological Study

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of Emergency Department nurses working during the first phase of the COVD19 pandemic.

Background: The impact of the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic to the national health care system was unexpected and devastating in many ways. Emergency Department nurses were overwhelmed with very little time to process this situation. Guidelines kept changing for dealing with this pandemic. Registered nurses working in the Emergency Department, as first responders, were called upon to make decisions for which they were not prepared.

Methods: A purposive sample of 15 registered nurses working in the Emergency Department during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic were recruited using snowball technique. Data collection was conducted using unstructured interviews. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s phenomenological method which guided this study.

Results: Analysis of the data revealed six essential themes: uncertainty and fear; overwhelmed and fatigued; stoicism and resilience; teamwork, ethical dilemma, and spirituality. These themes highlighted the failures in policy to address the health and well-being of Emergency Department nurses as they respond to public health disasters such as the COVID-19 pandemic

Conclusion: Emergency department nurses were affected physically, emotionally and professionally by the pandemic. Looking at the beginning of the pandemic, effective strategies for future crises should be developed so that nurses do not succumb to the stresses that Emergency Department nurses were confronted during this crisis.