Den gemensamma fienden – Intensivvårdssjuksköterskors upplevelser under coronapandemin

Background: Intensive care is central to a crisis caused by a pandemic. The competence of the intensive care nurse is vital to be able to perform monitoring, treatment and follow-up of intensive care patients. Through resilience, health care can adapt to unpredictable events. Resilience is also found in individual nurses through adaptability. The number of intensive care units in Sweden has declined over the past 15 years. In 2020, a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) caused a pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 causes the disease Covid-19 that affects the respiratory system, and those in need of intensive care usually require invasive ventilation. Covid-19 infects primarily by droplets, and during aerosol-forming situations, the risk of contamination is high, which requires the intensive care staff to work in personal protective equipment. Purpose: Intensive care nurses' experiences of their daily work during a pandemic caused by Covid-19 Method: A qualitative method with an inductive approach and a thematic data analysis. Result: The result is categorized into four main themes and 14 sub-themes. The main themes used are: "Another type of care", "The daily work is similar to war healthcare", "The work environment is similar to a war zone", and "We are stronger than ever". Sixty-two intensive care nurses participated in the study. Conclusion: The intensive care nurse's daily work is affected by the high demand with a lack of resources. The fact that nursing measures fail, have a negative impact on the patient and society. Lack of time leads to stress and ethical dilemmas that can contribute to fatigue syndrome and mental illness. By increasing resources and preparedness, the work environment of intensive care nurses can improve. More studies are needed to illustrate intensive care nurses' experiences during crises. Intensive care nurses have shown resilience to a very demanding situation, and we wish that this study can provide insight into the reality of ICU nurses.