Background: COVID-19 had become much less virulent but still infectious, and China had loosened controls on its prevention after three years of zero-COVID policy. Nursing students were faced with infection. However, the symptoms of the vast majority of them were not serious. Objectives: To understand the feelings and thoughts of nursing undergraduates first infected with COVID-19 after implementing the policy of loosening controls on COVID-19 prevention in China. Methods: A semi-structured in-depth interview was adopted to collect data from 19 nursing undergraduates in a nursing school in China in January 2023, which were then analyzed using the Colaizzi analysis method. Results: Two main themes and seven sub-themes were induced: feelings after the diagnosis of being infected (feeling calm by professional confidence, feeling afraid of the consequences of being infected, feeling depressed, feeling relieved/lucky/happy), and thoughts brought by COVID-19 infection (becoming more active in learning, committed to a nursing career, and feeling shaken about becoming a nurse). Conclusions: Schools and hospitals should pay attention to infected nursing students’ mental reactions and changes in study motivation and professional intention. Targeted measures, such as education for epidemic prevention and education for cultivating the professional spirit, should be taken to promote their mental health and reserve their talents for nursing.
References
[1]
Li, X., Zai, J., Wang, X. and Li, Y. (2020) Potential of Large “First Generation” Human-to-Human Transmission of 2019-nCoV. Journal of Medical Virology, 92, 448-454.
[2]
Briciu, V., Topan, A., Calin, M., Dobrota, R., Leucuta, D. and Lupse, M. (2023) Comparison of COVID-19 Severity in Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Patients during the Delta and Omicron Wave of the Pandemic in a Romanian Tertiary Infectious Diseases Hospital. Healthcare, 11, Article 373. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11030373
[3]
Ge, J. (2023) The COVID-19 Pandemic in China: From Dynamic Zero-Covid to Current Policy. Herz, 48, 226-228. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00059-023-05183-5
[4]
Zhang, T., Li, T., Zhao, F., Li, T., Zhang, M. and Jin, P. (2024) Effectiveness of Seven Oral Traditional Chinese Medicines against Mild or Moderate COVID-19: An Updated Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. Heliyon, 10, e35081. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35081
[5]
Jin, Y., Huang, Q., Wang, Y., Zeng, X., Luo, L., Pan, Z., et al. (2020) Perceived Infection Transmission Routes, Infection Control Practices, Psychosocial Changes, and Management of COVID-19 Infected Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Acute Care Hospital in Wuhan: A Cross-Sectional Survey. Military Medical Research, 7, Article No. 24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40779-020-00254-8
[6]
Nejad, F.M., Asadizaker, M., Baraz, S. and Malehi, A.S. (2019) Investigation of Nursing Student Satisfaction with the First Clinical Education Experience in Universities of Medical Sciences in Iran. Journal of Medicine and Life, 12, 75-82. https://doi.org/10.25122/jml-2018-0008
[7]
Adejumo, P.O., Nawagi, F., Kolawole, I.O., Ismail, M.R., Mukalay, A.W., Nabirye, R.C., et al. (2021) Knowledge, Preparedness, and Attitude Towards COVID-19 among Health Profession Students in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Cross-Sectional Survey. IJID Regions, 1, 150-158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijregi.2021.10.010
[8]
Northall, T., Chang, E., Hatcher, D. and Nicholls, D. (2020) The Application and Tailoring of Colaizzi’s Phenomenological Approach in a Hospital Setting. Nurse Researcher, 28, 20-25. https://doi.org/10.7748/nr.2020.e1700
[9]
Kuipers, Y. and Mestdagh, E. (2023) Emotional Wellbeing of Student Midwives during Covid-19. Women and Birth, 36, 184-192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2022.11.012
[10]
Raza, H., Guinee, E.P., Okeke, O., Shaw, J.S., Gibbons, A., Mooneyham, G.C., et al. (2023) The Emotional and Personal Experiences of the COVID-19 Illness during the Early Pandemic: A Qualitative Study. Journal of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, 64, 118-127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaclp.2022.11.003
[11]
Appleby, J.A., King, N., Saunders, K.E., Bast, A., Rivera, D., Byun, J., et al. (2022) Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Experience and Mental Health of University Students Studying in Canada and the UK: A Cross-Sectional Study. BMJ Open, 12, e050187. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-050187
[12]
Li, G., Shi, W., Gao, X., Shi, X., Feng, X., Liang, D., et al. (2024) Mental Health and Psychosocial Interventions to Limit the Adverse Psychological Effects of Disasters and Emergencies in China: A Scoping Review. The Lancet Regional Health—Western Pacific, 45, Article D: 100580. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanwpc.2022.100580
[13]
Wan, H., Yao, J.P. and Zhang, J. (2020) The Psychological Status during the Period of Coronavirus Disease 2019. Chinese Journal of Nursing, 55, 117-119.
[14]
Wei, L., Zhou, S., Hu, S., Zhou, Z. and Chen, J. (2021) Influences of Nursing Students’ Career Planning, Internship Experience, and Other Factors on Professional Identity. Nurse Education Today, 99, Article ID: 104781. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2021.104781
[15]
Arreciado Marañón, A. and Isla Pera, M.P. (2015) Theory and Practice in the Construction of Professional Identity in Nursing Students: A Qualitative Study. Nurse Education Today, 35, 859-863. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2015.03.014
[16]
Luo, J., Luo, L., Yang, A., Cui, M. and Ma, H. (2023) Clinical Experiences of Final-Year Nursing Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Synthesis. Nurse Education Today, 120, Article ID: 105633. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2022.105633
