A Model based Perspectives of Occupational Health And Safety System For Frontliner Nurses During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Nurses are the front-line of health care providers holding a vital role in serving patients during COVID-19 pandemic. Their health and safety are thus of utmost importance. Therefore, it is necessary to develop proper protection procedure for nurses' occupational health and safety during the pandemic. The study aimed to explore an occupational health and safety system for nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study used a qualitative descriptive method, involving 15 participants from a regional general hospital that served as a referral hospital for 2 districts in the fight against COVID-19. These subjects were selected through a purposive sampling. Data collection was carried out using semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted by telephone correspondence and recorded narration. The data were then analyzed using content analysis. The results of the study revealed four main categories related to the protection of nurses' health and safety during the pandemic i.e. preventing the exposure to COVID-19 infection, providing supports for personal protection, managing personal protective equipment (PPE), and managing nurses' working hours. To ensure nurses’ safety at hospitals, it is important to regulate the occupational health and safety system. By extension, this measure has reduced the negative impact of the pandemic and maintained their safety at work.