Frontline nurses' experiences of managing visitor restrictions during the COVID‐19 pandemic in a Danish university hospital – Lessons learned

TY - JOUR

T1 - Frontline nurses' experiences of managing visitor restrictions during the COVID‐19 pandemic in a Danish university hospital – Lessons learned

AU - Ågård, Anne Sophie

AU - Rasmusssen, Gitte Susanne

AU - Mainz, Hanne

AU - Gregersen, Merete

AU - Vedelø, Tina Wang

PY - 2024/6

Y1 - 2024/6

N2 - Background: Worldwide visitor restrictions forced nurses to separate patients from their relatives. However, the experience of implementing shifting restrictions from the frontline nurses' perspectives in a Danish context has yet to be assessed. Aim: The aim of this descriptive qualitative study was to explore frontline nurses' experiences of managing shifting visitor restrictions in a Danish somatic university hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: An online questionnaire, including open-ended questions, was developed. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Findings: 116 nurses from 29 departments participated; they were informed about restrictions primarily by their charge nurses and hospital intranet. Shifting visitor restrictions compelled the nurses to constantly adjust and negotiate their practices. When deciding to suggest deviating from the restrictions, they shared their decision-making with colleagues. Visitor restrictions left the hospital environment quieter, but they also created a lack of overview and predictability, an emotional burden, and a negative impact on the quality of care. Conclusion: Restricting relatives' access challenged the nurses' professional values, and it seems to have affirmed their appreciation of relatives' role as important partners in contemporary hospital-based health care.

AB - Background: Worldwide visitor restrictions forced nurses to separate patients from their relatives. However, the experience of implementing shifting restrictions from the frontline nurses' perspectives in a Danish context has yet to be assessed. Aim: The aim of this descriptive qualitative study was to explore frontline nurses' experiences of managing shifting visitor restrictions in a Danish somatic university hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: An online questionnaire, including open-ended questions, was developed. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Findings: 116 nurses from 29 departments participated; they were informed about restrictions primarily by their charge nurses and hospital intranet. Shifting visitor restrictions compelled the nurses to constantly adjust and negotiate their practices. When deciding to suggest deviating from the restrictions, they shared their decision-making with colleagues. Visitor restrictions left the hospital environment quieter, but they also created a lack of overview and predictability, an emotional burden, and a negative impact on the quality of care. Conclusion: Restricting relatives' access challenged the nurses' professional values, and it seems to have affirmed their appreciation of relatives' role as important partners in contemporary hospital-based health care.

KW - COVID-19

KW - communication

KW - nursing

KW - patient and family involvement

KW - quality of care

KW - relatives

KW - relatives as partners

KW - visitor restrictions

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85181675821&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/scs.13232

DO - 10.1111/scs.13232

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 38189138

SN - 0283-9318

VL - 38

SP - 536

EP - 545

JO - Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences

JF - Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences

IS - 2

ER -