Too Close for Comfort? The Social Health of Geriatric Nurses During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Germany

Abstract

Background: The first COVID-19 lockdown in spring 2020 had detrimental effects on both the residents and staff of long-term care facilities in Germany. Regulations to prevent the spread of the virus closed off facilities to visitors, creating social and physical distancing of residents and changing the daily routines of residents and nursing staff alike. Using a grounded theory approach, this study explores the impact of COVID-19 regulations on the social health of geriatric nurses in long-term care facilities in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews after the first lockdown (June/July 2020) and during the second lock¬down (November 2020–March 2021) with 13 nurses, primarily those in management positions. Results: We found that COVID-19 regulations changed the relationship between nurses and residents in important ways. First, nurses became primary caregivers and proxies for the relatives and professionals (e.g. hairdressers, physiotherapists) with whom residents typically interact. Second, strict regulations regarding hygiene, physi-cal and social distancing, and visitors contrasted sharply with nursing as a holistic practice and profession. Third, although nurses had to remain distanced from residents, they simultaneously developed greater emotional closeness. This dynamic affected the social health of both groups, raising important ethical questions about nursing responsibilities and emotional capacities in geriatric care during times of extended crisis such as the pandemic.