Table 2.

Script of questions and topics used in the semi-structured interviews.

Personal experience before the pandemic and initial experiences at the start of the pandemic

How would you describe your process of adaptation during the last few months until today? Please explain to me what the process entailed for you to go to work every day in an environment with COVID-positive patients

Feelings perceived during the different waves of the pandemic

How was the communication between the health professionals and the patients? What happened with the patients subjected to NIV *?

Please tell us about any experience about patients who had to be intubated quickly, without being able to say good-bye, if this occurred in your presence

Do you think the patient received the same amount of information about his/her disease as if the pandemic had not occurred?

Can you describe the communication between health professionals during the pandemic? Do you think communication has been negatively affected?

Before the pandemic, do you think you could have better interpreted the mood of a colleague at the hospital?

Do you think the relationships between colleagues have been affected by the pandemic? Explain your answer

What advice would you give to a colleague who is starting work at the same service you are at in order to effectively communicate with patients and the other health professionals?

After the workday, when you are at home, have you had to deal with some feelings? How would describe it/them?

As for the training for dealing with the pandemic, what aspects would you highlight?

Have you dealt with patients with a communication difficulty or with people who have some type of limitation or disability? Do you think the distancing protocols and personal protection equipment have had an influence on communication?

Have you noticed some alterations in communication with respect to the patient’s families and the health professionals during the pandemic?

* NIV, non-invasive ventilation.