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The Experience of ER Nurses in Lebanese Hospitals, During the COVID-19 Outbreak: A Qualitative Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 January 2023

Cedric Georges Chaiban ,
Olivia Maamari ,
Sahar T. Issa  and
Michèle Kosremelli Asmar
Cedric Georges Chaiban*
Affiliation:
Institut Supérieur de Santé Publique, Faculté de Médecine, Université Saint Joseph de Beyrouth, Beirut, Lebanon Hôtel-Dieu de France, Emergency Department, Beirut, Lebanon
Olivia Maamari
Affiliation:
Institut Supérieur de Santé Publique, Faculté de Médecine, Université Saint Joseph de Beyrouth, Beirut, Lebanon
Sahar T. Issa
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Faculty of Communications, Arts and Sciences, Canadian University of Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Michèle Kosremelli Asmar
Affiliation:
Institut Supérieur de Santé Publique, Faculté de Médecine, Université Saint Joseph de Beyrouth, Beirut, Lebanon
*
Corresponding author: Cedric Georges Chaiban, Email: cedricgeorges.chaiban@net.usj.edu.lb.
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Abstract

Objective:

The increasing number of COVID-19 cases, as well as the overwhelming workload, constitutes a serious occupational health threat to Emergency Room (ER) nurses working on the frontlines. In Lebanon, where unstable socio-economic conditions reign, the Covid-19 outbreak was added to the plethora of daily challenges faced by healthcare workers. The study’s objective is to explore how Lebanese ER nurses perceived their duty on the frontlines amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Methods:

This study employed a descriptive exploratory qualitative design. 15 Lebanese ER nurses working directly with Covid-19 patients were recruited from 3 university hospitals in Beirut. Interviews were held for data collection until data saturation. Subsequent analysis was done via coding of the transcribed verbatim.

Results:

The findings showed significant gaps related to preparedness, support, and governmental action. Similarly, the frontliners faced serious challenges that increased their stress levels both physically and mentally. Furthermore, some participants were subject to stigma and had to face irresponsible behaviors during triage. Participants emphasized the need to guarantee a safe environment at work, to provide Covid-19 patients with the needed care.

Conclusions:

ER nurses struggled during this pandemic while working on the frontlines. They described their experience as not satisfying, with high levels of stress, danger, and challenges.

Keywords

ERnursesexperienceCovid-19preparedness
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 17 , 2023 , e334
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

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