Challenges and Coping Strategies of Emergency Room Nurses During the COVID – 19 Pandemic

AUTHOR(S)

Nasudi Rose E. Pardiñas, RN

ABSTRACT

This study determined the challenges and coping strategies encountered by nurses in the emergency room during the COVID 19 pandemic. It dealt on the personal profile of the nurses which include their age, sex, civil status, highest educational attainment, number of years in the emergency room (ER) and relevant trainings attended related to emergency care for the past two years.
Descriptive research design was used in the study utilizing the different statistical tools like frequency and percentage, t-test, weighted mean, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The nurse respondents are young adults, female-dominated, no marital relationships, did not pursue higher degree of learning, been in the service at the emergency room for 11 years and above, earning an average monthly income and had undergone few number of trainings on emergency care. The challenges encountered by the respondents is highest on physical dimension, mental, social and lowest on spiritual dimension. The nurse respondents practiced variety of coping strategies and highest on doing proper documentation, practicing good hygiene and increasing their immunity for good body condition while on duty at the emergency room. Insignificant findings were noted in the variables age, gender, civil status, highest educational attainment, number of years assigned in the emergency room, number of relevant trainings in emergency care. However, along monthly family income, there is a significant difference along physical dimension. The higher the monthly family income of the nurses, the higher they encountered challenges in the emergency room during the pandemic along physical, social, and spiritual dimensions of health. The nurses must upgrade their qualifications to increase their knowledge, skills, and other competencies in the emergency room most particularly in dealing with COVID-19 patients. They must utilize other strategies to minimize the challenges encountered in the emergency room during the pandemic. They must consider other ways of coping to widen their perspective and accept that COVID-19 is just one of the cases handled. The nurse respondents must continue to perform their jobs and looking into their physical needs to minimize challenges encountered. Regardless of their monthly income, the nurses must continue their services to patients in the emergency room with or without pandemic.