Learning Experiences of Nurses Regarding COVID-19 During the Pandemic and Affecting Factors

Objective: The aim of the study is to determine the learning experiences of nurses regarding COVID-19 during the pandemic and identify the factors influencing these experiences. Methods: This is a cross-sectional and descriptive study. The study was conducted with 516 nurses working in health institutions in Turkey. The data for the research were collected online using an information form developed by the researchers in February-March 2021, in accordance with the literature. Results: Of the nurses participating in the study, 83.9% were female, 60.7% were single, 81.98% belonged to Generation Y, and 43.60% had 1-4 years of professional experience. The research findings indicated that nurses relied more on national resources and observational methods to acquire information during the pandemic. It was observed that the high workload and nurse shortage made it challenging for them to implement the knowledge they gained. The nurses' age, professional experience, education level, and the institution they worked for were identified as factors influencing their learning experiences. Conclusion: It is thought that determining the way nurses follow in the development of their professional knowledge and skills, which learning resources they use, which learning path they prefer, what difficulties they have in applying what they have learned, and the factors affecting their learning experiences will lead to the planning of in-service training activities.