Dignity and respect for the older adult with COVID-19 in intensive care from the nursing perspective

Introduction: To describe nurses’ perception of dignity and respect for older adults with COVID-19 during their care in intensive care units. Material and methods: Qualitative approach study of phenomenological design, with a sample of 15 nurses from intensive care units of public and private institutions in Ecuador, obtained through convenience sampling, to whom semi-structured interviews were applied, for their analysis the Colaizzi model was followed and complemented with the implementation of the Atlas software. Ti. Results: 5 categories emerged: 1. Lack of care for the elderly during COVID-19; 2. Dignity and respect for the elderly during the pandemic; 3. Separation of the family link to the critical patient during the health emergency; 4. Ethical and bioethical principles violated during the care of the elderly during the health crisis; and 5. Negative effects on the mental health of nursing personnel in critical services. Conclusions: From the nurse's point of view, the limited therapeutic margin suffered by this age group in the health emergency stands out, presenting bioethical conflicts and human rights violations; in addition, humanized care had to be adapted through strategies to guarantee family closeness and their ontological dignity during the pandemic.