Abstract
Abstract2020 is a year to remember. The World Health Assembly declared 2020 the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife, recognizing their contribution to public health. Unfortunately, just a few months later, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. This impacted healthcare systems worldwide, placing massive pressure on healthcare providers, especially Registered Nurses (RNs) and Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs), who experienced physical exhaustion and emotional strain due to insufficient support and resources, which affected care delivery. This interpretive phenomenological study examines the impact of the pandemic on the care provided to RNs and CNMs’ patients and the impact of their burnout, turnover, and overall mental health on the quality of care received by patients. The research questions are: What does it mean for registered nurses/ certified nurse midwives to experience the impact of COVID-19 on the care provided to their patients in birthing and maternity care centers (prenatal, labor/delivery, and postpartum) centers in Minnesota hospitals? What was the RN's or CNM's experience with their nurse manager during the pandemic? The findings of this study were arranged into five themes: communication challenges with patients, invisible leaders' impact, the emotional toll on RNs and CNMs, staff shortage impact, and the ability to adapt. This study created an educational framework that fosters empathetic communication in healthcare leaders to better support registered nurses (RNs) and certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) in birthing centers, particularly in times of crisis. Authentic leadership was also highlighted as a crucial factor. By recognizing the psychological impact of the pandemic on RNs and CNMs and how it has affected their ability to provide quality maternity care, healthcare systems may be encouraged to provide more support to these professionals to help them overcome their stresses and continue delivering exceptional care.
Keywords: healthcare, registered nurses, certified nurse midwives, pandemic, phenomenology, postpartum, patient, maternity care center, burnout, COVID-19, mental health