'It was difficult, but our struggle to touch lives gave us strength': The experience of nurses working on COVID‐19 wards.

Background: Nurses are considered important healthcare professionals during the management of the pandemic process due to the considerable amount of time they spend in the face‐to‐face nursing of infected patients. To optimise the service of healthcare workers, it is recommended that the mental health needs of the health workforce are addressed. Aims and Objectives: This study aimed to explore the experiences and coping strategies of Turkish nurses working in pandemic units. Methods: A grounded theory design was applied. In‐depth interviews were conducted with 15 nurses. The data were analysed according to the constant comparative method. Results: The study generated a core category ('It was difficult working in the unknown, but our struggle to touch lives gave us strength'), showing that all nurses felt heroic via the satisfaction of touching patients' lives and uncertain. Four main categories emerged: being caught in the pandemic, empowerment for coping with the struggle, challenges during the coping process and effects of the pandemic on life. Conclusions: Nurses felt that their profession was sacred and valued by society, and comprehensive support had facilitated the process. Nurses had difficulty in managing their fear of infecting others and adapting to many new elements, the learning process and a lack of understanding of their role as team members. The nurses attending to the pandemic have experienced the effects of COVID‐19 on their lives, such as psychological growth, psychological symptoms and being labelled as high risk. Relevance to clinical practice: Nurses would be further empowered by government and society's support and acceptance of professionalism in nursing. The findings suggest that the resources for the psychological support of nurses in the pandemic should be increased. Regular and intensive training for nursing is necessary to promote adaptation and efficacy in crisis management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]