Negotiating the unknown: lessons learned from Australian healthcare professionals working through the COVID19 pandemic

Aim
To explore the experiences of healthcare professionals who worked in patient-facing roles during the pandemic.

Design and methods
This study, conceptualized at the beginning of the pandemic response in Australia, aimed to understand healthcare professionals’ experiences regarding the professional and personal impacts of working through the COVID-19 pandemic. Nine healthcare professionals participated in semistructured interviews. Thematic analysis resulted in four themes. The COREQ checklist guided the process (see Supporting File 1).

Results
The overall themes included (1) Little Whispers, Moving into A Pandemic; (2) Confusion and Chaos; (3) Pushing Boundaries and Finding Ways of Coping; and (4) Stories of Trauma, Stories of Opportunity. Findings suggest that healthcare professionals were initially naïve about the significance of the pandemic and experienced increased feelings of vulnerability as its impact became clearer. A lack of consistent messaging was reported to increase feelings of confusion and chaos.

Conclusion
To cope, healthcare professionals reported relying on each other and worked to identify innovative solutions to care. Stories highlight complex responses to the increased pressures and expectations of working through the pandemic, opening a space for future research.

Contribution to nursing
This study provides insight into the experiences of Australian healthcare professionals working directly with patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings suggest that participants experienced feelings of vulnerability and fear as they grew to understand the risks of the pandemic. The findings from this study can contribute to lessons learned from the pandemic to enable preparedness for future pandemic responses.

Reporting method
COREQ.