Experiences of nurses in caring for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Eswatini, Southern Africa: A qualitative study

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) posed significant and unprecedented caregiving challenges among nurses. The caregiving challenges were severe in developing countries where health-related resources were scarce. Therefore, the study aimed to explore and describe nurses' experiences caring for patients with COVID-19 in one of Eswatini's COVID-19-designated hospitals. A descriptive qualitative design was employed with 12 purposively sampled participants. All the participants had experience working in the COVID-19 wards. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a pretested semi-structured interview guide and an audio recorder. Collected data were analyzed thematically following Colaizzi’s descriptive method. Trustworthiness was strengthened through forward–backward translation and dual coding. The study participants consisted of six females and six males aged 31 to 54 years. Three themes emerged from the data: (1) Caregiving challenges, (2) Coping strategies, and (3) Perceived support needs during pandemics. Pandemics, such as COVID-19, can significantly impact nurses' professional caregiving. As such, nurse managers and policymakers must be cognizant of the nurses' challenges and address them accordingly by ensuring sufficient personal protective equipment, adequate and competent nursing personnel, and on-site structured mental health services. Future studies can explore the experiences of nurse managers and other healthcare professionals on COVID-19.