Abstract:

Objectives: This qualitative study aimed to conduct an in-depth analysis of the opinions of nurses who did not receive the COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic regarding the issue. Methods: This research was designed as a qualitative research in the case study design and based on the guidelines proposed by the COREQ checklist. It was conducted in nurses working in various healthcare institutions and units providing preventive and therapeutic services. In the study, 10 nurses who did not receive the COVID-19 vaccine were interviewed. The data of the study were collected through an introductory “Information form” and “Semi-structured interview form” by conducting in-depth interviews. The data were analyzed by the content analysis method. Results: In the study, 3 main themes and 8 sub-themes were determined after the thematic analysis. Themes were determined as follows: (1) Extreme skepticism (a. mistrust, b. rumor, c. anxiety), (2) Perceived risk (a. low risk perception, b. experiences), and (3) Self-others (a. individual freedom, b. inconsistency, c. perception of social benefit). Conclusion: It was found that nurses refused to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, which is an important strategy in the fight against the pandemic, based on various reasons and inferences. Developing a standard recommendation for all nurses in the world on vaccine hesitancy can be difficult. But the strategic efforts to increase confidence in vaccines should focus on the invisible barriers to vaccine hesitancy.

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