“Experiences of professional nurses regarding shortage in the advent of Covid -19 in a hospital in the Northwest Province:

Background: Covid-19 pandemic worsened the long-standing shortage of nurses worldwide and South Africa is not an exception. Professional nurses resigned in the advent of Covid-19 due to fear of contracting Covid-19, demonstrating that there was inadequate support of professional nurses in the times of the pandemic. Aims: The study explored and described experiences of professional nurses regarding shortages in the advent of Covid-19. The support required by professional nurses in the advent of Covid-19 pandemic was also described. Methods : This study used a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual approach. The population of the study were professional nurses employed at one hospital in the Northwest Province of South Africa during the Covid-19 pandemic. Purposive sampling was applied to select twelve professional nurses who participated in the study. Unstructured in-depth individual interviews were used to generate data and the analysis followed the thematic model. The study adhered to ethical principles of respect for persons, privacy, beneficence and justice. Results: The study findings show that the participants reported experiences of physical exhaustion, emotional pain, and mental health challenges due to Covid-19. These experiences confirm the negative impact on the health care system, and the organizational support required by professional nurses in the face of shortages in the advent of Covid 19. Conclusion: Covid-19 exacerbated the already existing shortage of staff. These shortages were compounded by nurses’ quarantine and self-isolation, in tandem with elderly nurses resigning for fear of Covid-19 infections.