Preparedness of Our Emergency Department During Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia from the Nurses’ Perspectives: A Qualitative Research Study

Abstract Introduction This in-depth study explores the preparedness of our emergency department (ED) during the novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) outbreak from nurses’ perspectives, providing reference and a basis for our ED’s response to public health emergencies. Methods Using qualitative research methods, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 ED nurses who met the inclusion criteria, and Colaizzi analysis was used for data analysis, summary, and induction. Results Four themes that involved preparedness of the ED during the NCP outbreak were extracted: organizational preparedness, personal preparedness, patient and family preparedness, and deficiencies and challenges. Discussion The organizations, individuals, patients, and family members were actively prepared to respond to NCP in the ED. The ED nurses said that the trusted organization guaranteed personal preparedness, and the active cooperation from patients and families was a motivator for personal preparedness. In addition, our study showed that there were deficiencies in both multidisciplinary collaboration efforts and efforts to rapidly diagnose and treat patients with fever in critical condition.