Table 2 The categories and sub-categories of this study
From: Stress management in nurses caring for COVID-19 patients: a qualitative content analysis
Categories | Sub-categories | Selective coding |
|---|---|---|
Providing care with uncertainty and anxiety | Providing care as a professional duty | Providing care voluntarily Feeling committed to one’s job as a care-provider Having a sense of responsibility in providing care to COVID-19 patients |
|  | Concern over transmitting the infection to one’s family | Concern over hugging one’s child Concern over eating with one’s family Nightmares about giving the infection to one’s family Staying away from one’s mother Not sleeping next to one’s child |
| Â | Fear of the unknown aspects of the disease | Fear of ignorance about how the infection is transmitted Fear of ignorance about the symptoms of the infection Fear of ignorance about the fatality of the infection Fear of ignorance about how to disinfect medical equipment Fear of ignorance about treatment of the infection |
| Â | Concern over making wrong decisions | Concern over volunteering to work in wards for COVID-19 patients Hesitation about trying to achieve professional development during the pandemic Hesitation about trying to achieve professional goals during the pandemic |
|  | Families’ insistence on quitting one’s job | Father’s disapproval of continuing one’s job Spouse’s insistence on quitting one’s job Relatives’ insistence on quitting one’s job Mother’s insistence on quitting one’s job |
Facing psychological and mental tension | Working in difficult conditions | Witnessing the deaths of one’s friends Witnessing the fear and anxiety of one’s colleagues Witnessing the loud objection of one’s colleagues who are not willing to work in wards for COVID-19 patients Having shortness of breath when one is wearing a mask Not having enough time to eat Not having enough time to drink anything Suffering dehydration Getting a sore nose as a result of wearing masks for long periods |
| Â | Lack of personal protective equipment | Lack of N95 masks Lack of gowns Lack of face shields |
|  | Feeling rejected | Unfriendly looks from one’s friends and acquaintances Fewer family visits Fewer interactions with one’s family and relatives Fewer interactions with one’s friends Being avoided by one’s relatives outside home |
Creating a context of support | Proper intradepartmental management | Satisfactory distribution of tasks among the personnel Distribution of tasks among the personnel based on their emotional traits Equitable distribution of PPE Satisfactory job rotation Designation of hours for the personnel to visit a counselor Participation of the personnel in inter-ward decision making Monitoring infection control in the ward |
|  | Support of the authorities | Rewarding the personnel Granting official appreciation cards Granting time-off awards Reducing the personnel’s obligatory working hours Reducing the shifts of the personnel in COVID-19 wards Organizing question and answer sessions Addressing the personnel’s problems and issues Giving priority to job applicants who volunteer to work in COVID-19 wards |
|  | Effective communication skills | Empathizing Visiting the personnel infected with COVID-19 Giving positive feedback to one’s colleagues Raising one’s colleagues’ spirits |
Experiencing personal-professional growth | Improved learning | Sharing one’s experiences Becoming acquainted with the symptoms of emerging diseases Learning how to care for COVID-19 patients Learning how to properly use PPE Developing one’s time management skills |
| Â | Perception of positive feelings at the end of a crisis | Development of friendly relationships between the personnel Obtaining a sense of achievement Improving the social image of nurses Strengthening relationships between the personnel Developing a sense of self-efficacy Developing self-sufficiency |
|  | Self-transformation | Increased flexibility Approaching time spent with one’s family Enhanced self-organization Stronger spirituality |