Table 2.

The categories and sub-categories of this study

Categories	Sub-categories	Selective coding
Providing care with uncertainty and anxiety	Providing care as a professional duty	Providing care voluntarily Feeling committed to one’s job as a care-provider Having a sense of responsibility in providing care to COVID-19 patients
	Concern over transmitting the infection to one’s family	Concern over hugging one’s child Concern over eating with one’s family Nightmares about giving the infection to one’s family Staying away from one’s mother Not sleeping next to one’s child
	Fear of the unknown aspects of the disease	Fear of ignorance about how the infection is transmitted Fear of ignorance about the symptoms of the infection Fear of ignorance about the fatality of the infection Fear of ignorance about how to disinfect medical equipment Fear of ignorance about treatment of the infection
	Concern over making wrong decisions	Concern over volunteering to work in wards for COVID-19 patients Hesitation about trying to achieve professional development during the pandemic Hesitation about trying to achieve professional goals during the pandemic
	Families’ insistence on quitting one’s job	Father’s disapproval of continuing one’s job Spouse’s insistence on quitting one’s job Relatives’ insistence on quitting one’s job Mother’s insistence on quitting one’s job
Facing psychological and mental tension	Working in difficult conditions	Witnessing the deaths of one’s friends Witnessing the fear and anxiety of one’s colleagues Witnessing the loud objection of one’s colleagues who are not willing to work in wards for COVID-19 patients Having shortness of breath when one is wearing a mask Not having enough time to eat Not having enough time to drink anything Suffering dehydration Getting a sore nose as a result of wearing masks for long periods
	Lack of personal protective equipment	Lack of N95 masks Lack of gowns Lack of face shields
	Feeling rejected	Unfriendly looks from one’s friends and acquaintances Fewer family visits Fewer interactions with one’s family and relatives Fewer interactions with one’s friends Being avoided by one’s relatives outside home
Creating a context of support	Proper intradepartmental management	Satisfactory distribution of tasks among the personnel Distribution of tasks among the personnel based on their emotional traits Equitable distribution of PPE Satisfactory job rotation Designation of hours for the personnel to visit a counselor Participation of the personnel in inter-ward decision making Monitoring infection control in the ward
	Support of the authorities	Rewarding the personnel Granting official appreciation cards Granting time-off awards Reducing the personnel’s obligatory working hours Reducing the shifts of the personnel in COVID-19 wards Organizing question and answer sessions Addressing the personnel’s problems and issues Giving priority to job applicants who volunteer to work in COVID-19 wards
	Effective communication skills	Empathizing Visiting the personnel infected with COVID-19 Giving positive feedback to one’s colleagues Raising one’s colleagues’ spirits
Experiencing personal-professional growth	Improved learning	Sharing one’s experiences Becoming acquainted with the symptoms of emerging diseases Learning how to care for COVID-19 patients Learning how to properly use PPE Developing one’s time management skills
	Perception of positive feelings at the end of a crisis	Development of friendly relationships between the personnel Obtaining a sense of achievement Improving the social image of nurses Strengthening relationships between the personnel Developing a sense of self-efficacy Developing self-sufficiency
	Self-transformation	Increased flexibility Approaching time spent with one’s family Enhanced self-organization Stronger spirituality