gms | German Medical Science

Background: Meeting patients’ fundamental care needs may be compromised by the challenges of SARS-CoV-2. No evidence-based nursing guidelines exist for patients with SARS-CoV-2.

Objective: to identify omitted or delayed (missed care) nursing care for inpatients with SARS-CoV-2, and any barriers to this care, as part of developing a pandemic nursing care guideline.

Methods: We conducted an online mixed methods survey structured using Kitson’s Fundamentals of Care Framework. We recruited a convenience sample of UK-based nursing staff who had nursed inpatients with SARS-CoV-2. We asked respondents to rate the care of these patients, compared to non-SARS-CoV-2 patients, and identify barriers to care. We analyzed quantitative data descriptively and qualitative data using Framework Analysis, integrating data in side-by-side comparison tables.

Results: Of 1062 respondents, greater than 50% rated mobility, talking and listening, non-verbal communication, communicating with significant others, and emotional wellbeing as worse for patients with SARS-CoV-2. Eight barriers were ranked within the top five in at least one care area: wearing Personal Protective Equipment, severity of patients’ conditions, restrictions in taking items in and out of isolation rooms, lack of time to spend with patients, lack of specialized services, lack of knowledge about SARS-CoV-2, insufficient stock, and fear of catching SARS-CoV-2.

Conclusions: A majority of nurse respondents report worse care in one third of fundamental care activities for patients with SARS-CoV-2, and many different barriers to delivering this care. We incorporated this data into the ‘COVID-NURSE’ clinical guideline, which we are testing throughout the UK in a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Disclosure of potential conflict of interest: There are no conflicts of interest.

Funding: This project is funded by the UK National Institute for Health Research, grant reference MR/V02776X/1.