Experiences and perceptions of nurses caring for pediatric COVID-19 patients: A qualitative study

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the experiences of nurses caring for pediatric COVID-19 patients.

Method: This qualitative study was conducted by interviewing a sample of 15 nurses caring for pediatric COVID-19 patients. The data were evaluated using thematic analysis by first transcribing and reviewing the interviews, followed by coding, categorizing, and identifying themes.

Results: Thematic analysis of the study data revealed four themes: mental wellbeing of nurses, severe work-related stress, reactions of children and parents, precautions and pandemic management. Nurses who care for pediatric COVID-19 patients work under difficult conditions and are at risk for mental health problems. COVID-19 positive children and their parents experience more intense fear than other patient groups. For this reason, pediatric nurses more frequently encounter anger and aggressive reactions from parents of children with COVID-19.

Conclusion: COVID-19 in children psychosocially affects their families and the nurses caring for them as well as the children themselves. Supportive interventions should be implemented to mitigate these problems. We determined that nurses working with pediatric COVID-19 patients faced general problems as well as field-specific problems and that interventions to address these issues are needed. Based on the results of this study, we recommend improving nurses’ working conditions and developing support programs for children treated for COVID-19, their parents, and nurses.