A Qualitative Investigation of the Psychological Experiences of COVID-19 Patients Receiving Inpatient Care in Isolation

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread rapidly throughout the world. Still, little is known about the psychological experiences of patients who received inpatient isolation treatment in order to improve the well-being of these patients. We randomly recruited 10 COVID-19 patients who received inpatient isolation treatment at a designated hospital in Wuhan from February to March 2020 and were discharged after recovery. The data were collected via a semi-structured interview over WeChat video and analyzed them using Calaizzi’s descriptive phenomenological method. COVID-19 patients experienced significant psychological stress during hospitalization that continued after recovery and discharge. This can be categorized into three themes: (1) negative emotions experienced; (2) uncertainty of treatment provided; and (3) worries about readjusting to daily life. The insight into a patient’s psychological experiences can support the timely implementation of personalized nursing interventions within hospitals and the community to improve the patient’s mental well-being and recovery trajectory.