Aims Identify the organizational changes faced by front‐line nurses working with COVID‐19 patients during the first wave and describe how they responded to these changes. Background The COVID‐19 pandemic has altered the provision of care and the management of health care around the world. Evolving information about SARS‐coV‐2 meant that health care facilities had to be reorganized continually, causing stress and anxiety for nurses. Methods Qualitative study based on Rapid Research Evaluation and Appraisal (RREAL). The research took place in Hospital and community health settings of the Spanish national health system with a purposive sampling of 23 front‐line nurses. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted between May and June 2020. The duration was 30 to 45 minutes per interview. We used the Dedoose® data analysis software to perform a thematic analysis. Results Nurses responded to organizational changes using the following strategies: improvisation, adaptation, and learning. Conclusion Our rapid approach allowed us to record how nurses responded to changing organization, information that is easily lost in a disaster such as the COVID‐19. Implications for Nursing Management Knowing about their strategies can help planning for future health disasters, including subsequent waves of the COVID‐19.
We analyze the mechanisms of reproductive governance that influence reproduction in Spain through 66 semi-structured interviews with heterosexual parents. We examine reproductive governance through moral regimes surrounding four arenas: the labor market, gender relations at home, institutional feminist discourses, and the narrative of choice. We show that mothers are considered to be socially responsible for children, a fact that is key to understanding how Spain went from a “baby boom” between the 1950 and 1970s to “structural infertility” since the 1990s.
This article seeks to expand researchers’ understanding of choice in the reproductive decision-making narratives of heterosexual couples to help explain fertility rates in Spain. The data comprise 32 interviews and two focus groups with heterosexual mothers and fathers. Two broad categories have been identified: couples who chose “when” to have children and couples who chose “whether” to have children. The results show that couples choosing “when” considered having children to be a normal step in the life course and had a shared plan to become parents. Couples who chose “whether” considered having children to be a voluntary lifestyle choice and decisions were more individualized. Both groups reported having decided to have children. Parents’ sense of responsibility for this decision could help explain the postponement of motherhood and low fertility rates in Spain.
Aims and Objetives: Explore nurses' experiences and perception of risk regarding the use of personal protective equipment during the first wave of the pandemic in Spain.Background: The contribution of our study is to use qualitative methods to understand nurses' experiences and perceptions of the risk of the contagion linked to the shortage of PPE during the first wave of the pandemic, whose explosive start strained health systems around the globe.Design: Qualitative descriptive design according to the Rapid Research Evaluation and Appraisal model.Methods: Semi‐structured videoconference interviews were conducted to explore the experiences of 29 nurses including staff nurses, nursing supervisors and nursing directors from hospital and community services of the Spanish health system. Interviews lasted 30–45 min and were conducted in May 2020. We carried out a thematic analysis using Dedoose. The COREQ checklist was used to report findings.Results: We identified the following themes and subthemes: 1. Experiences with personal protective equipment: scarcity, inequality, reutilization, self‐protection, delegation of responsibility, and gap between protocols and reality; 2. Perception of the risk of contagion: lack of credibility, lack of trust, lack of support, and meeting subjective needs.Conclusions: The scarcity of personal protective equipment and inequality in its distribution led nurses to take initiatives to feel more protected. Mid‐ranking supervisors were caught between the responsibility of monitoring and rationing personal protective equipment and providing the necessary protection to nurses. The disjuncture between protocols and the available supply of personal protective equipment caused confusion. Lack of credibility, lack of trust and lack of support from management influenced participants' perception of the risk of contagion. Mid‐ranking supervisors were often responsible for trying to alleviate fear among nursing staff.Relevance to clinical practice: Understanding the factors involved in risk perception can be helpful to decision‐makers who help protect nurses in clinical practice. These results can help administrators and policymakers because they point to the need for nurses to feel that their departments and centers look after their safety at work. Transparent communication and emotional support may contribute to their well‐being in the face of risk.
During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a significant increase in the use of telenursing to provide care for patients at home. However, the quality of the patient experience when nurses rely on technology instead of personal contact has not been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to understand the perspectives of COVID-19 patients in home isolation who received telenursing from primary care nurses during the initial phase of the pandemic. A qualitative study was conducted that employed purposive sampling and involved semi-structured interviews via videoconference with fourteen COVID-19 patients from two primary health centers in Catalonia (Spain). Thematic analysis was used, and the study adhered to the COREQ checklist. The findings revealed three themes related to the challenges faced by COVID-19 patients in home isolation: physical symptoms, emotional and social difficulties, and a lack of information. Three themes emerged regarding the strategies patients employed to overcome these challenges and the role of nurses: self-care, emotional support, and personal commitment. The patients reported having achieved strategies to improve their physical, psychological, and situational well-being despite the unprecedented situation. The study highlights that telenursing is a valuable resource for delivering patient-centered care, which could lead to changes in organisational policies and the development of best clinical practices.
Until December 2020, Spanish primary schools were not required to provide any kind of sexuality education, and most teachers did not receive training to carry it out. However, sexuality is clearly present in children’s daily lives in school. We carried out qualitative research with teachers from four primary schools in Catalonia (Spain), aiming to explore how teachers without specific training in sexuality approach the issues in the classroom. Our analysis shows that teachers in the four schools governed children’s sexuality in a gendered manner, using communicative vigilance and surveillance to regulate how children touched their own genitals. Findings suggest the need for continuing professional development and training to ensure teachers (re)think what adults may communicate to children about sexuality and gender when they have not received training in relationships and sex education.