Experiences of Nurses Providing Care to Individuals in Earthquake-Affected Areas of Eastern Turkey: A Phenomenological Study

ABSTRACT

Purpose

The aim of this study is to examine the experiences of nurses who provide care to individuals in earthquake-affected areas of eastern Turkey.

Design

A phenomenological design from qualitative research methods was utilized in this study.

Methods

The study was conducted between May 29, 2023, and August 15, 2023, with 11 nurses working in the western region of Turkey’s provinces through one-on-one semi-structured interviews. The interviews were conducted online and recorded on video. Content analysis was performed using the MAXQDA software package.

Findings

Themes and sub-themes were identified from the expressions of nurses in line with research findings. Accordingly, 5 themes were determined for nurses providing care to individuals in the earthquake. zone: “challenges they face,”“emotions they felt,”“coping methods,”“knowledge and skills“and “effects of earthquake”

Conclusion

The results obtained from this study demonstrated that nurses experienced difficulties due to environmental (hygiene, cold weather, shelter) and work-related (lack of coordination, psychosocial issues) conditions during the earthquake event. While providing care to individuals in earthquake-affected areas of eastern Turkey, nurses reported feelings of sadness, inadequacy, anxiety, and fear. They employed coping methods such as talking to family/friends, attempting not to dwell on thoughts, and turning to religious practices to manage these negative emotions. Nurses emphasized the necessity of having professional knowledge and crisis management skills to care for individuals during the earthquake period. In accordance with the findings of the research, it is recommended that nurses are provided with realistic training through simulations and drills in disaster management, as well as psychological support interventions.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no actual or potential conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

In order to conduct the study, ethical approval was obtained from the XX Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Committee with approval number 2023/60 dated 29.05.2023. Participating nurses were informed about the objectives and design of the research, and their verbal consent along with video recording were obtained.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research authorship and/or publication of this article. This research was not supported by any funding.