• Yu-E Liu, Zhong-Chang Zhai, Yan-Hong Han, Yi-Lan Liu, Feng-Ping Liu, and De-Ying Hu.
• Department of Nursing, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
• Public Health Nurs. 2020 Sep 1; 37 (5): 757-763.

ObjectiveTo explore the experiences of front-line nurses combating the coronavirus disease-2019 epidemic.Design And SampleFifteen front-line nurses caring for COVID-19 patients were recruited from two hospitals in Wuhan, China from January 26 to February 5, 2020. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews and analyzed using standard qualitative methods.ResultsFour theme categories emerged from the data analysis: (a) "Facing tremendous new challenges and danger"; (b) "Strong pressure because of fear of infection, exhaustion by heavy workloads and stress of nursing seriously ill COVID-19 patients"; (c) "Strong sense of duty and identity as a healthcare provider"; (d) "Rational understanding of the epidemic-the nurses believed that the epidemic would soon be overcome and would like to receive disaster rescue training."ConclusionsAlthough the intensive rescue work drained front-line nurses, both physically and emotionally, they showed a spirit of dedication and felt a responsibility to overcome this epidemic. Their experiences provide useful insights into implementing a safer public health emergency rescue system in preparation for future outbreaks of infectious diseases. Specifically, psychological support and humanistic care should be provided to front-line nurses to maintain their well-being, and nationwide emergency rescue training and disaster education should be implemented.© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

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