Home Care Services: Experience of Shkoder's Nurses During COVID-19.

Abstract

Background: Nursing home care refers to the provision of long-term care services to individuals who are unable to live independently and require assistance with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, eating, and medication management.

Objective: To explore the experience of nursing home care in Shkoder during COVID - 19 and to explore the key challenges and concerns associated with nursing home care during the quarantine period.

Methods: A qualitative phenomenal approach study was conducted. Data were collected through one in one semi-constructed interviews. In this study were included 30 nurses who offered their service at home of patients during pandemic. Only the nurses who have a bachelor's degree in nursing and have at least 1 year of experience in providing home care were included in the interview. Those who refused and people who did not offer this service at home were excluded. Out of 37 nurses, 30 agreed to be part of this study. All these people have been invited for an interview via WhatsApp. Then we went to their place of work where the interviews were conducted in a separate room at their place of work. All audio recorded interviews were transcribed into type written text and qualitatively analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis approach. Inductive thematic analysis is a method for identifying, analyzing and reporting patterns or themes independently from existing theoretical frameworks or categories. The period time of this study was January - February 2023.

Results: The nurses in Shkodra encountered various challenges while providing home care services during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Conclusion: Shkodra's nurses have exemplified resilience and dedication as they navigate the complexities of providing home care services during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.