Challenges with healthcare workers' protection during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers stand in the frontline of the fight against the disease. This study aimed to assess the challenges with personal protection during the pandemic in Tehran, Iran. Seven-hundred healthcare workers were surveyed between April and May 2020, and the study was performed in surgical care wards. Questionnaires, which were sent to 1000 workers via online platforms, social networks, and emails to different associations, were used to assess the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the reasons for not using it. A total of 700 replied. Face masks and face shields had the highest and lowest use, respectively. Equipment shortage, time constraint, low supervision, and lack of information were the reasons for personnel not using PPE. To reduce the burden of COVID-19 and accelerate the process of patient care, it is important to protect and maintain the well-being of staff. Organised national and international arrangements to protect them are critical.

Night shift work experiences among Iranian nurses: a qualitative study.

AIM: To describe the perceptions held by Iranian registered nurses (IRNs) concerning their night shift work experiences. BACKGROUND: Due to the nature of nursing work and the need for 24-h coverage every day, the majority of nurses work night shifts in their professional practice. Evidence from several studies indicates that night working is a challenge for most nurses. This situation can cause many forms of physical and emotional stress. METHODS: A qualitative design was used with purposeful sampling. Eighteen IRNs from four different general educational hospitals in Iran took part in the study. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and analysed according to qualitative content analysis. FINDINGS: Three main themes were identified from the data: (a) socio-cultural impacts of night work, (b) health-related impacts of night work, and (c) night work as an opportunity for gaining more clinical experiences and learning more. CONCLUSION: The impact of shift work on nurses' daily professional behaviour and adverse health outcomes related to shift work should be well understood and considered when organizing healthcare systems. We need to identify ways to support nurses who work nights and also give attention to the caregiver's needs.

Two approaches to nursing: a study of Iranian nurses.

BACKGROUND: Studying nurses' experience from a sociocultural perspective can contribute to improving knowledge and understanding in this field. PURPOSE: To describe and compare three different groups of Iranian nurses' experiences of their profession. METHODS: The study was conducted in Iran and Sweden. The data were collected from semi-structured telephone interviews and analysed with latent content analysis. The participants were three groups of registered nurses (RNs) (21 persons). All RNs were born and grew up in Iran. The first group (A) were educated and had worked in Iran but were now working and living in Sweden. The second group (B) were educated and worked in Sweden. The third group (C) were educated and worked in Iran. FINDINGS: The nurses in Sweden worked with a patient-orientated approach while nurses in Iran worked with a task-orientated approach. Nurses in all three groups explained that they suffered from stress, had a heavy workload, were underpaid and understaffed. The findings showed that RNs working with a patient-orientated approach, experienced work satisfaction to a greater extent than RNs working with a task-orientated approach, although other aspects also influenced the nurses' situation considerably.

Earthquake relief: Iranian nurses' responses in Bam, 2003, and lessons learned.

BACKGROUND: Man-made or natural disasters appear to be occurring more frequently around the world. It is important that nurses in all specialties should be prepared to care for people affected by disasters. AIM: To explore Iranian Registered Nurses' experiences in disaster relief in the Bam earthquake, Iran in 2003. METHODS: This study was qualitative with 13 participant nurses. Data were obtained through semi-structured serial interviews and analysed using the latent content method. FINDINGS: Three general themes emerged: (a) the need for previously prepared practical protocols, (b) the need for qualified and real teamworking in the situation, and (c) the need to establish periodic comprehensive training programmes in disaster relief nursing. CONCLUSION: It has become urgent for health agencies and related public services to collaborate, and for all health professionals to become knowledgeable about disaster preparedness. Crisis management, which has become more prevalent for many organizations, is an important strategic initiative for nursing, helping them provide the infrastructure to respond effectively to emergencies and unpredictable events. It is important in today's world that hospital and nursing organizations develop a strategic system to handle disaster situations.