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Aim: This study aimed to examine the social stigma experienced by healthcare workers caring for people diagnosed with COVID-19., Methods: This research employed a qualitative-phenomenological approach. It was conducted at the COVID centers of the Hail region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Both purposive and snowball sampling were used, resulting in 15 participants. However, saturation was identified in the 11th participant. Interviews were conducted online through a Zoom platform, with at least 50 min per participant. Thematic analysis was used in analysing the data., Results: The nurses recorded four themes and three subthemes based on one-on-one interviews. These themes included (1) Labeling nurses as "COVID Nurses," with a subtheme of frustration, (2) "Fear of the unknown," with a subtheme of "uncertainties," (3) Nurses' need for support, and (4) the Love for the profession, with a subtheme of "nurses' worth.", Conclusion: Nurses who cared for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 experienced stigma. They were labeled "COVID Nurses." They experienced fear of the unknown and uncertainties and felt they needed support. Despite these experiences, the nurses felt fulfilled as they have a high regard for their profession. The experiences of these nurses call for intervention to help them before, during, and after any health-related crisis. In this context, nurses will be prepared mentally and emotionally to face the challenges in their career., (© 2021 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Sameer A Alkubati,1 Salman Hamdan Alsaqri,1 Gamil G Alrubaiee,2 Mokhtar Abdu Almoliky,1 Talal Ali Hussein Alqalah,1 Eddieson Pasay-An,3 Awatif Mansoor Alrasheeday,4 Shimmaa Mohamed Elsayed5 1Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Community Health, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia; 3Fundamental of Nursing Department, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia; 4Nursing Administration Department, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia; 5Critical Care and Emergency Nursing Department, Damanhour University, Damanhour, EgyptCorrespondence: Sameer A Alkubati, Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966506575284, Email alkubatisa@yahoo.comBackground: A continuous and high frequency of alarms from monitoring and treatment devices can lead to nurses’ sensory exhaustion and alarm fatigue in critical care settings.Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of alarm fatigue and determine the relationship between nurses’ sociodemographic and work-related factors and the level of alarm fatigue in critical care settings in Hail City, Saudi Arabia.Methods: Between May and July 2023, 298 nurses who worked in the emergency, intensive care, and critical care units of all the public hospitals in Hail City participated in a cross-sectional survey. Sociodemographic and work-related sheet and the Nurses’ Alarm Fatigue Questionnaire were used to collect data.Results: The total mean score of alarm fatigue was 26.38± 8.30 out of 44. The highest score was observed for the item “I pay more attention to the alarms in certain”, while the lowest score were observed for the items “I turn off the alarms at the beginning of every shift” with mean scores of 2.51 and 1.61, respectively. Nurses who were males, older than 30 years and Saudi citizens had significantly higher mean scores of alarm fatigue than their counterparts. In addition, significantly higher mean scores of alarm fatigue were noticed for nurses experienced for 10 years or more and who had regular morning shifts. Multiple linear regression showed that male (p=0.014), age (p=0.012), and Saudi nationality (p < 0.029) were the independent factors affecting the level of fatigue alarm among nurses.Conclusion: Nurses working in critical care settings at hospitals in Hail city are exposed to average levels of alarm fatigue, which can be influenced by sex, age, nationality, and experience of nurses. Therefore, it is imperative to manage alarm fatigue in critical care units by considering work-related and personality-related factors to ensure patient safety.Keywords: alarms, fatigue, nurses, intensive care units, emergency