Saudi Nurse Interns’ Experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Thematic Approach

Ejercito Mangawa Balay‐odao, Jonas Preposi Cruz, Abdullelah Alsolais, Junel Bryan Bajet, Nahed Alquwez, Ahmed Mansour Almansour, Khalaf Aied Alotaibi, Jennifer Mesde, Ahmed Mohammed Almoghairi, Bader Awadh Alrasheadi

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Jazi Shaydied Alotaibi

2023

Full text Open access: Gold Metadata (CSL-JSON)
DOI 10.3390/healthcare11020230
Data confidence 70 medium
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: The learning process for nurses, including internships, was affected during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have made the nurse internship program more challenging and stressful for participants. Therefore, it is significant to explore the experiences of nurse interns during COVID-19. AIM: This study aimed to explore Saudi nurse interns' field experiences during the pandemic. DESIGN: The study utilised descriptive phenomenological qualitative research and a thematic approach. METHODS: A total of 19 nurse interns participated in the study, which was conducted in Saudi Arabia. Participants undertook an internship program at different government hospitals in five cities in Saudi Arabia. Unstructured individual interviews were conducted to gather data from the participants. RESULTS: The findings revealed five themes: being passionate, lacking knowledge and skills, being concerned about their families, being cautious, and being unoriented. CONCLUSION: The study findings document that the struggles of nurse interns in their internship programs during COVID-19 were related to their lack of knowledge, their family, and the working environment.