Experiences of nurses caring for children diagnosed with COVID-19: A qualitative study

INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE: According to the developmental level of the children against illness and hospitalization their reactions are different. Adversely affected by hospitalizations at various levels when children need hospitalization due to Covid-19 intensive isolation in the hospital measures and healthcare professionals being affected by the equipment they wear and the disease process examine the situation through nurse experiences and how this affects communication, this study was carried out in order to determine how the children reacted and the difficulties experienced by the nurses in this process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The research is of qualitative and phenomenological type. The data of the research, ıt was collected between March 2021 and August 2021. A research group was formed with 25 nurses who met the criteria for inclusion in the study. Data were collected using an introductory information form and a semi-structured interview form. The nurses were explained about the purpose of the study and verbal and written consent was obtained from those who agreed to participate in the study on a voluntary basis. The interviews were recorded with a voice recorder, for the nurses who did not allow voice recording, the interview was recorded in writing by the researcher. In-depth interview technique was used in data collection, paying attention to Covid-19 contact precautions. In line with the answers received, coding was applied with the MAXQDA Analytics Pro2020 program and qualitative data analysis was applied and the results were interpreted. RESULTS: As a result of the analysis, six themes were obtained. These themes are; 'Reactions-Emotions of Children and Families, Approach to Children and Families, Nurses' Emotions in Child Care, Difficulties, Achievements and Nurses' Suggestions to Colleagues'is in the form. CONCLUSION: In the study, it was determined that nurses had various experiences in the care of a child diagnosed with Covid-19, the disease caused fear and anxiety in families and children, children's reactions to protective equipment, and health workers developed various strategies against these reactions . It was concluded that families, children and nurses should have more empathy and understanding in this process. Key Words: Covid-19, Child, Nurse, Experience, Qualitative Study