Examination of illness experiences of healthcare workers who received COVID-19 treatment in the hospital

Healthcare workers have been at the center of COVID-19 cases during the pandemic and faced a high risk of infection. The high contagiousness of COVID-19 and direct contact of healthcare workers with patients has significantly increased their exposure to infection. The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of healthcare professionals hospitalized due to COVID-19 focusing on their diagnosis, treatment, and post-treatment processes. In this study, which was conducted using qualitative research method, phenomenology design was preferred in order to explore the details and depths of the experiences of healthcare workers during the illness process. Within the scope of the research, 22 health workers were reached by using criterion and snowball sampling methods. Thematic analysis was conducted for the findings obtained from the interviews. The illness experiences of inpatient healthcare workers were examined under three main themes: experiences during the diagnosis process, experiences during the treatment process and experiences during the post-treatment process. Experiences during the diagnosis process were examined within the framework of the symptoms that healthcare workers developed due to COVID-19 infection, factors leading to their contraction of the disease, their feelings and thoughts after receiving a positive diagnosis, and the attitudes exhibited by those around them. Experiences during the treatment process were examined through the reflections of their professional identity on the treatment process and factors that accelerated recovery. Post-treatment experiences were analyzed in terms of the changes and transformations in their personal and professional lives. Additionally the reflections of role change experienced by health workers who become patients in the disease process are also discussed in detail. The study revealed that healthcare workers contracted the virus in environments such as hospitals, family settings, and social settings. The diagnosis triggered emotional, cognitive, and behavioral effects such as fear, anxiety, acceptance, stigma concerns, and existential reflection. Reactions from those around them ranged from supportive behaviors to stigmatizing attitudes. Their professional identity had both positive and negative impacts on the treatment process. Factors such as maintaining physical health, utilizing environmental and spiritual support mechanisms, and sustaining positive thinking played a critical role in the recovery process. Furthermore, the illness had both positive and negative effects on the personal lives of healthcare workers and led to transformations in their professional lives, including changes in service delivery practices and professional attitudes. Transitioning to the role of a healthcare service recipient contributed to their awareness of the healthcare system and enhanced their empathy skills by enabling them to better understand patient needs.