Abstract

Keywords

Background

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion

Author Contribution

Acknowledgment

Supplementary materials

References

Article Info

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Abstract

Background
Roles and responsibilities of nurses are crucial in the battle of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but nursing duties also put them at risk for infections.

Purpose
The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of nurses in combatting COVID-19 in Belitung, Indonesia.

Methods
This study employed a phenomenological study design. Online interviews and chatting were conducted among 17 clinical nurses who were purposively selected from March to June 2020. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed, and validated among researchers. The thematic approach was used for data analysis.

Findings
Seven themes emerged (1) feeling “nano-nano”, (۲) lack of N95 masks, (3) we are just pawns, (4) being rejected, (5) please do not spread our identity, (6) we miss home, and (7) feeling betrayed by regulation.

Discussion
Findings of this study should be used by government agencies, nurses, and the general population in combatting COVID-19.

Background
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), detected in Wuhan, China, was first reported to the WHO Country Office in China on December 31, 2019. It has been spread through 218 countries and territories around the world and two international conveyances (Worldometers, 2020). As of January 8, 2021, there are 216 countries and areas involved, with 88,499,863 confirmed cases. This includes 1,906,693 deaths and 63,610,686 recovered patients (World Health Organization, 2020). Indonesia is one of the affected countries, and as of January 8, 2021, there are 797,723 confirmed cases. There are 659,437 recovered patients and 23,520 confirmed deaths (Ministry of Health of Indonesia, 2020).

The biggest challenge is the excessive number of cases, and our health care systems are being challenged. Lack of hospital capacity, insufficient numbers of facial masks and personal protective equipment, lack of ventilators, caregiver fatigue, and challenges with rapid and diagnostic tests have become the issues among the affected countries (Djalante et al., 2020; Gunawan et al., 2020; Tanne et al., 2020). Leaders’ are dealing with complexity, ambiguity, and uncertainty in decision making (Djalante et al., 2020)—due to the rapidly evolving situation, lack of expert knowledge of the evolving novel disease and the constant additional information that is made available locally and globally as it is discovered.