Ndou, N. D.Tshililo, A. R.Rangwaneni, M. E.Nyamande, Lucky2026-07-172026-07-172026-05-19Nyamande, L. 2026. Experiences of professional nurses caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 at the selected hospitals in Tshwane District of Gauteng Province, South Africa. . .https://univendspace.univen.ac.za/handle/11602/3372Master of NursingDepartment of Advanced Nursing ScienceIntroduction and Background: The South African healthcare system was hard hit by the second wave of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which affected professional nurses as healthcare facilities became overwhelmed due to an increased workload because of the overflow of admissions. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of professional nurses caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 at selected hospitals in the Tshwane district of Gauteng province, South Africa. Methodology: The researcher employed a qualitative approach with an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis design. The researcher used a non-probability purposive sampling technique to select the participants. The researcher purposively selected professional nurses who are 25 years or older and have worked in designated COVID-19 units, intensive care units and other admission wards were COVID-19 patients were being treated. The population of the study comprised of 15 professional nurses from the Tshwane district. In-depth face to face unstructured individual interviews were used to collect information pertaining to the experiences of professional nurses in caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19. An audio recording device was used during the interviews, with the participant's consent. The data was transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed guided by the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis process. The study found that professional nurses faced challenges during the provision of care to patients this including amongst others, increased workload, staff shortage and anxiety. The challenges they faced encouraged them to employ coping strategies such as increasing teamwork, conducting in-service training and reallocating staff to busy units. The study also found that professional nurses had experiences they cherished and appreciated, such as increased knowledge and enhanced employment opportunities. They indicated that such experiences boosted their morale and served as motivation to soldier on in the battle against COVID-19. Based on the study findings, several recommendations were made focusing on the practice of nursing, the management and for further research studies. Measures to ensure the trustworthiness of the study and the required research ethics were applied and maintained throughout the study.1 online resource (v, 102 leaves)enUniversity of VendaCaringUCTDCOVID-19ExperiencesProfessional nursesPatientDissertationNyamande L. Experiences of professional nurses caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 at the selected hospitals in Tshwane District of Gauteng Province, South Africa. []. , 2026 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from:Nyamande, L. (2026). <i>Experiences of professional nurses caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 at the selected hospitals in Tshwane District of Gauteng Province, South Africa</i>. (). . Retrieved fromNyamande, Lucky. <i>"Experiences of professional nurses caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 at the selected hospitals in Tshwane District of Gauteng Province, South Africa."</i> ., , 2026.TY - Dissertation AU - Nyamande, Lucky AB - Introduction and Background: The South African healthcare system was hard hit by the second wave of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which affected professional nurses as healthcare facilities became overwhelmed due to an increased workload because of the overflow of admissions. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of professional nurses caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 at selected hospitals in the Tshwane district of Gauteng province, South Africa. Methodology: The researcher employed a qualitative approach with an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis design. The researcher used a non-probability purposive sampling technique to select the participants. The researcher purposively selected professional nurses who are 25 years or older and have worked in designated COVID-19 units, intensive care units and other admission wards were COVID-19 patients were being treated. The population of the study comprised of 15 professional nurses from the Tshwane district. In-depth face to face unstructured individual interviews were used to collect information pertaining to the experiences of professional nurses in caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19. An audio recording device was used during the interviews, with the participant's consent. The data was transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed guided by the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis process. The study found that professional nurses faced challenges during the provision of care to patients this including amongst others, increased workload, staff shortage and anxiety. The challenges they faced encouraged them to employ coping strategies such as increasing teamwork, conducting in-service training and reallocating staff to busy units. The study also found that professional nurses had experiences they cherished and appreciated, such as increased knowledge and enhanced employment opportunities. They indicated that such experiences boosted their morale and served as motivation to soldier on in the battle against COVID-19. Based on the study findings, several recommendations were made focusing on the practice of nursing, the management and for further research studies. Measures to ensure the trustworthiness of the study and the required research ethics were applied and maintained throughout the study. DA - 2026-05-19 DB - ResearchSpace DP - Univen KW - Caring KW - COVID-19 KW - Experiences KW - Professional nurses KW - Patient LK - https://univendspace.univen.ac.za PY - 2026 T1 - Experiences of professional nurses caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 at the selected hospitals in Tshwane District of Gauteng Province, South Africa TI - Experiences of professional nurses caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 at the selected hospitals in Tshwane District of Gauteng Province, South Africa UR - ER -