Hospital Nurses’ Experience in Caring for Patients with Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): Beyond the Normal Care

The rapid spread of novel infectious diseases, driven by globalization and transportation, has caused significant global damage. This study aimed to deeply explore the meaning of nursing experiences from nurses who performed holistic care for COVID-19 patients. Methods: Nurses from a tertiary hospital's COVID-19 isolation ward from January 1 to March 31, 2021, were included. Data were collected through 1:1 in-depth interviews with 17 nurses who understood the research purpose and agreed to participate. The transcribed interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Five themes and 13 sub-themes were derived from 47 codes. The five themes included 'The beginning of new nursing,' 'New nursing while wearing personal protective equipment,' 'End-of-life care for patients,' 'Fruitfulness of nursing for COVID-19 patients,' and 'Demands for better nursing.' Conclusion: Nurses provided holistic and high-complexity nursing care to COVID-19 patients, experienced personal growth, and recognized the importance of colleagues. The unique context of 'isolation' for COVID-19 patients has resulted in profound end-of-life care experiences for nurses, highlighting the demand for support programs to address this issue. Furthermore, it shows the necessity for staffing support tailored to patient care.