This study was qualitative and was conducted from a phenomenological perspective.

We used the purposive sampling method to recruit 19 undergraduate nursing students from Hangzhou Normal University in January 2023.

Inclusion criteria: 1) with an initial diagnosis of COVID-19 (positive results on antigen test or nucleic acid mono-tube test) [3] ; 2) undergraduate nursing students or post-secondary nursing students; 3) was in a stable condition; 4) was conscious; 5) communicated well; 6) being informed consent. Exclusion criteria: 1) was hospitalized with severe COVID-19 infection; 2) was with serious diseases, such as severe arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, etc.; 3) suffered from mental illness or cognitive dysfunction, etc.

This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the School of Nursing, Hangzhou Normal University (approval number: 2023001). All study subjects voluntarily participated.

This study adopted qualitative research methods from a phenomenological perspective. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted to obtain research data [8] . The proposed interview questions were as follows: 1) How did you feel after you were infected by COVID-19? 2) How did you cope with COVID-19 infection? 3) What effects in daily life do you think the infection brought to you? 4) What thoughts did the infection bring to you about your study and your nursing career? 5) What other suggestions do you have for this interview?

Before formal interviews, all interviewers were trained on the content and interviewing techniques related to qualitative research. Three undergraduate nursing students were pre-interviewed. The researchers confirmed the study subjects’ willingness to participate by telephone, introduced the purpose, significance, and time required, and committed harmlessness and confidentiality to the subjects. They also confirmed the interview time with them. After that, researchers interviewed participants by WeChat or voice call. Researchers made sure that they were in a quiet, private and comfortable environment and that there were no other people besides them. Then, researchers collected general information about the interview subjects.

During the interview, the researcher encouraged the interviewees to express their thoughts and feelings. To better explore the interviewees’ experiences, researchers listened carefully to their responses and observed their facial expressions and mannerisms. This study conducted 27 interviews, and the average interview time was 40 minutes.

The audio recordings were converted into text word by word within 24 hours after each interview. The interview content was analyzed using the Colaizzi method [8] : 1) the researcher repeatedly listened to the recordings, read the interview transcripts, and then marked out significant words and phrases; 2) coded the recurring ideas; 3) assembled the coded ideas to form the prototype of the themes and described each theme in detail; 4) summarized the similar themes; 5) returning to the interviewees for clarifying any questionable or unclear points about the interview content. Throughout the process of data collection and analysis, shorthand memos were used to record and preserve data analyzed. Basic information about interviewees is shown in Table 1 .

Eight nursing students mentioned that they had a good understanding of COVID-19 and were able to identify and deal with the symptoms the first time. Therefore, they could keep calm during the pandemic and have a positive impact on people around them.

“I will keep calm. Some people may think this virus is very scary and will cause a lot of terrible symptoms. Other people guess that they may have pneumonia, so they are very afraid. For us medical students, we can read books about some special symptoms, and we can also use our own knowledge, (so that we will) not be so afraid.”

(S11)

“After all, our major is medicine. (This makes us) able to fight COVID-19 with more calmness, less panic, and to give some strength to people around you.”

(S10)

Fear is a common psychological reaction of respondents infected with COVID-19, including fear of symptoms, fear of infecting others, and fear of reinfection.

“I was afraid I would die of fever at night, because only I myself in the room. I was afraid I would die of fever at night.”

(S1)

“I was worried about infecting children and older adults in my family, who could easily die if they were infected.”

(S4)

“During the Spring Festival, I thought there was a high probability that there would be a second infection, and I heard that the strain of second infection might be different.

It could be more severe or milder. I was definitely worried about reinfection.”

(S1)

Some interviewees said they felt depressed after being infected.

“I felt I did not want to live anymore. It’s true. That was the feeling at that time.”

(S13)

“I felt depressed. Because I had to take the postgraduate entrance exam soon.”

(S12)

Some infected participants felt relieved when they were diagnosed with COVID-19 infection because they thought that being infected was inevitable and that being infected was not a big thing.

“It was a bit of a relief. Because we thought that everyone was going to get infected.

Since my family had been diagnosed, it’s finally my turn. It relieved me to stop worrying.”

(S2)

Some interviewees said they felt lucky because the infection happened to be staggered with the postgraduate entrance examination, as infection was unavoidable.

“At that time, we had finished the postgraduate entrance examination, and all the important things had been finished. We were infected when we rest at home, so we felt quite lucky.”

(S14)

Some respondents said that during the epidemic period, they realized the importance of medical or nursing knowledge and became more active in learning.

“I feel that relying on the temporary question bank can not solve the practical problem, and I will make a fool of myself when I really want to use the knowledge…I must rely on the accumulation at ordinary times to use the knowledge correctly when I need it. This epidemic made me truly feel the importance of medical knowledge in life, and it has also increased the enthusiasm of my learning intentionally or unintentionally.”

(S12)

“(I need to) learn more skills, learn a variety of nursing knowledge.”

(S17)

One of the respondents indicated that she would like to continue their postgraduate studies in nursing and engage in research related to pulmonary rehabilitation. Two respondents also said that because of the positive role played by nurses in the epidemic, they are more determined to engage in the nursing area.

“It has no impact on my future study and employment…it (the COVID-19 infection) makes me more determined to be a nurse.”

(S13)

“When I was quarantinable at home, I saw by chance on TikTok that many nurses had died in the early days of COVID-19 pandemic. Their spirit moved me very much. If possible, I would like to be one of them (to help people).”

(S2)

More respondents had doubts about their future careers in nursing or related nursing fields due to the high risk of infection among nursing staff, especially those in the respiratory department.

“In terms of employment, I may need to slightly consider the employment situation of relevant departments, such as the respiratory department, where the nurses are prone to infection…I may need to observe during the internship…and other ways to judge whether I can be qualified for this post.”

(S11)

“I am concerned about and interested in such public health emergencies…I have the intention of becoming a public health nurse. In addition, I admire front-line clinical nurses more and hope that I can become one of them in the future, but I also worry that professional exposure is too painful, and I don’t want to exchange the so-called “angel in white” title at the cost of my health, so my heart in clinical nursing is shaken.”

(S16)

“I feel that nursing is a big responsibility, and I will doubt whether I can do it.”

(S18)