Lived experiences of COVID-19 survivors admitted to the respiratory intensive care unit (RICU): phenomenological study in Southern Iran

COVID-19 is still spreading around the world. To this end, the present study sought to explore the experiences of COVID-19 survivors with a history of admission to ICUs in southern Iran. This study was conducted using descriptive phenomenology on twelve COVID-19 survivors with a history of admission to the ICU. The patients were selected using purposive sampling. The data were collected through face-to-face semistructured interviews with the patients. The collected data were analyzed using the seven steps of Colaizzi analysis. Data analysis revealed 3 main themes: better resources and facilities, unpleasant physical and psychological experiences, and pain relievers. COVID-19 survivors who were admitted to the RICU reported that they had many positive and negative experiences. Thus, health officials, experts, nurses, and physicians need to pay special attention to the problems faced by COVID-19 patients admitted to ICUs.