Exploration of the occupational and personal dimensions impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic for nurses: A qualitative analysis of survey responses

Aim To explore the occupational and personal life dimensions that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic for registered nurses (RN) and licensed practical nurses (LPN). Design Qualitative interpretive description approach. Methods Between July and September 2020, a web-based cross-sectional study was conducted among RNs and LPNs in Quebec, Canada. Included in this survey was an open-ended question allowing nurses to describe the occupational and personal life dimensions that were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the qualitative data from this open-ended question. Reporting followed the Standards For Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR). Results Of the 1860 survey respondents, 774 RNs and 43 LPNs responded to the open-ended question (total n = 819). For the occupational dimension, six themes were identified: impacts of infection control on work, change in daily work tasks, offloading and reorganization of care, deterioration of working conditions, increased stress at work and issues related to the profession. For the personal dimension, four themes were found: impacts on the family, dealing with changes about leisure and personal life, impacts on physical and psychological health. Conclusion Knowing the dimensions affected by the COVID-19 pandemic could help to identifying appropriate interventions to support RNs and LPNs. Impact The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the occupational and personal lives RNs and LPNs working in the Quebec healthcare system. More specifically, Quebec's nurses experienced a major reorganization of care generated by important government decisions. Knowing how the pandemic affected different life dimensions will help in the development of support adapted to nurses' realities. Even in a pandemic context, improvements in the work environment or appropriate support could lead to an improved psychological health for nurses.