Frontline nurses experiences about human caring during pandemic of COVID-19: A directed content analysis study

Aim: This study aims to investigate experiences of frontline nurses about human caring during COVID-19 pandemic based on the Ten Caritas Processes (R) of Watson's Human Caring Theory.Design: A directed content analysis was performed.Methods: A total of 15 frontline nurses were recruited by purposive sampling from Razi hospital (north of Iran), in 2020 and semi-structured interviews were conducted.Results: Extracted categories based on Ten Caritas Processes (R) included feeling satisfied in providing care to patients, effective presence with patients, moving towards self-actualization (moving towards transcendence), care with trust and compassion, experience positive and negative emotions, creativity in providing care, self-directing learning experience in the field of care, unfavourable environment for providing care, feeling acceptance and worth, uncertainty (facing the unknown). This study showed that communication skills, self-sensitivity, patient dignity, teaching-learning and problem-solving skills, holistic attention to the patient, and the provision of a healing environment are necessary for patient care.