Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing (대한간호학회지)

Korean Society of Nursing Science (한국간호과학회)
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An Analysis of Tasks of Nurses Caring for Patients with COVID-19 in a Nationally-Designated Inpatient Treatment Unit

국가지정 입원치료병상에 입실한 COVID-19 환자를 돌보는 간호사의 업무분석

  • Jung, Minho (Department of Nursing, Seoul National University Hospital) ;
  • Kim, Moon-Sook (Department of Nursing, Seoul National University Hospital) ;
  • Lee, Joo-Yeon (Department of Nursing, Seoul National University Hospital) ;
  • Lee, Kyung Yi (Department of Nursing, Seoul National University Hospital) ;
  • Park, Yeon-Hwan (College of Nursing, The Research Institute of Nursing Science, Seoul National University)
  • 정민호 (서울대학교병원 간호부문) ;
  • 김문숙 (서울대학교병원 간호부문) ;
  • 이주연 (서울대학교병원 간호부문) ;
  • 이경이 (서울대학교병원 간호부문) ;
  • 박연환 (서울대학교 간호대학.간호과학연구소)
  • Received : 2022.06.15
  • Accepted : 2022.08.24
  • Published : 2022.08.31
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Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide foundational knowledge on nursing tasks performed on patients with COVID-19 in a nationally-designated inpatient treatment unit. Methods: This study employs both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The quantitative method investigated the content and frequency of nursing tasks for 460 patients (age ≥ 18 y, 57.4% men) from January 20, 2020, to September 30, 2021, by analyzing hospital information system records. Qualitative data were collected via focus group interviews. The study involved interviews with three focus groups comprising 18 nurses overall to assess their experiences and perspectives on nursing care during the pandemic from February 3, 2022, to February 15, 2022. The data were examined with thematic analysis. Results: Overall, 49 different areas of nursing tasks (n = 130,687) were identified based on the Korean Patient Classification System for nurses during the study period. Among the performed tasks, monitoring of oxygen saturation and measuring of vital signs were considered high-priority. From the focus group interview, three main themes and eleven sub-themes were generated. The three main themes are "Experiencing eventfulness in isolated settings," "All-around player," and "Reflections for solutions." Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative to ensure adequate staffing levels, compensation, and educational support for nurses. The study further propose improving guidelines for emerging infectious diseases and patient classification systems to improve the overall quality of patient care.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This study was supported by the Seoul Nurses Association fund in 2021.

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