Frontline nurses' experience of working in a COVID-19 ward: a qualitative study

Aim
To explore how nurses experienced working in a newly organized COVID-19 ward with high-risk patients during a new and unknown pandemic.

Design
A qualitative explorative study using a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach.

Methods
Semi-structured individual telephone interviews were conducted in June–July 2020 with 23 nurses working in COVID-19 wards from three regional hospitals in Denmark. The nurses had been transferred from other departments at their hospital to the newly organized COVID-19 wards. Data analysis was influenced by Paul Ricoeur's theory of narrative and interpretation, including three analytical levels: naïve reading, structural analysis and critical interpretation and discussion.

Results
During the structural analysis four themes were generated: (a) Challenging and uncertain situation, but also a positive experience (b) Professional and personal development (c) Lack of nurses' rights during a pandemic (d) Reward in itself or a desire for financial reward.