Maldives National Journal of Research

The Maldives National Journal of Research (MNJR) is a research journal of the Maldives National University published by the Postgraduate Research Centre. MNJR is a multidisciplinary journal of research in all disciplines relevant to the Maldives. Although in the coming years, it is expected that this journal will evolve into specialist journals in various disciplines, the first one is generalist in nature. The journal publishes research articles, literature reviews, book reviews, comments, opinion and perspectives.

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Author: search.filters.author.Hassan, SalmaSubject: search.filters.subject.COVID-19

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    Psychological experiences of nurses during COVID-19 pandemic in the Maldives
    (Maldives National University, 2022-07) Hassan, Salma
    The Maldivian nurses had to face and deal with unique challenges during the coronavirus outbreak. As a result, they often faced extreme psychological pressure as a result of working constantly with a high risk of infection from patients and working in temporary setups with limited resources and manpower who were not well equipped to deal with a pandemic for the first time. This study aimed to explore the psychological experiences of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Maldives. A descriptive qualitative research design was used for this study. Five female nurses working in the COVID-19 related in-patient facilities participated in semi-structured, virtual (telephone or online) interviews. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Three themes emerged from the data analysis: Overwhelming experience, nurses being treated differently, and valuing family support. The participants described the experience of being emotionally overwhelmed. Many experienced feelings of uncertainty and grief, mainly when they had to handle the death of COVID-19 patients under their care. Most significantly when they had to handle the dead bodies in a body bag as it was very painful for the families not being able to perform their last respect and rituals as per cultural practices. The second main theme was nurses’ grievance owing to the differential treatment they were subjected to by the public. When nurses had to go back to their resident islands, the island community was scared of contracting the disease from the nurses and as a result the public rejected interacting with the nurses. This further isolated the nurses subjecting them to loneliness. Finally, family is the most important and valuable support to overcome their psychological burden. Family members including husbands and mothers were very supportive of taking care of the nurses’ children while they worked long hours. The Maldivian nurses in COVID-19 facilities faced psychological adversities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings from this study can help in identifying issues and experiences of nurses, in order to implement appropriate interventions to monitor and support nurses during contagious disease outbreaks.
Those using material that appeared in MNJR for noncommercial use are welcome to copy, distribute, transmit and adapt the work — at no cost and without permission — as long as they attribute the work to the original source. Those who wish to use material appearing in MNJR for commercial use must obtain written permission from MNJR.