Nurses consultation during COVID-19 via hotlines: a descriptive phenomenological study abstract

Background: Consultation is one of the primary roles of nurses as a health professional discipline in the community. COVID-19 allowed the nurses to respond to public health needs, be accountable for their concerns, and advocate for vulnerable groups to alleviate COVID-19 challenges. Objectives: The study was aimed to explore the nurses’ experiences in the consultation role during the COVID-19 crisis. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted with Colizzi’s descriptive phenomenological approach. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with fifty nurses in different positions. The participants were selected purposefully of the nurses with consultative performance through hotlines. Results: Qualitative data were classified into 5 main themes: nurse consultation as a missing link in the health system , COVID-19 threat as an opportunity to demonstrate the nurse`s role in the community , formation of consultation role identity , nurse`s competency in the role performance , and calming the people . Conclusion: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, effective health communication strategies must be used to inform the public. Nursing consultation is essential to increase coping with unexpected events in the community. It reduces the pressure on the health system’s capacity to be potentially in crisis and provides the opportunity to extend nurses’ role in emergencies.