Calm after the storm; transition from crisis: Iranian nurses' experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic - a qualitative study.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic had significant physical and psychosocial impacts on nurses. While the initial phases of the pandemic presented considerable challenges, these appear to have diminished over time. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of Iranian nurses working in clinical settings during the post-pandemic period of COVID-19. This is a qualitative study conducted using the conventional content analysis approach proposed by Granheim and Lundman (2004). This study was conducted at secondary care hospitals in northwest Iran that served as referral centres for multiple provinces during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 18 nurses with at least 1 year of clinical experience in COVID-19 wards were recruited using purposive sampling. Participants were diverse in terms of gender, age and educational background. Nurses temporarily transferred from other wards were excluded. 'Return to Normalcy' emerged as the overarching theme, encompassing five main categories: <i>Expansion of Knowledge</i>, <i>Changing Attitudes Toward the Disease</i>, <i>Improved Disease Management</i>, <i>Changing Nature of the Disease</i> and <i>Expansion of Facilities</i>. The findings suggest that, like other crises, the COVID-19 pandemic represents a temporary disruption. However, certain factors can expedite the transition back to normalcy. These include enhanced awareness of the disease, effective crisis management and improved access to diagnostic, therapeutic and protective resources.