Nurses are in direct contact with patients with COVID‑19 and have faced much tension with the rapid spread of coronavirus. This study aimed to explore the safe coping strategies of nurses when facing the COVID‑19 pandemic.

In this qualitative study, data were collected from September 20 to December 20, 2020, in Isfahan (Iran) through individual semi‑structured interviews with 12 nurses working in the five referral centers for patients with COVID‑19. Informants were selected via purposeful sampling and interviewed in one or several sessions at the appropriate time and place. The interviews continued until data saturation. All interviews continued until no new data were added to the continuous content analysis. Data analysis was performed using conventional content analysis based on Graneheim and Lundman’s approach. We used Guba and Lincoln’s criteria (including credibility, transferability, conformability, and dependability) to guarantee trustworthiness and rigor.

Safe coping strategies for nurses were discovered in two categories of “wise liberation” and “care,” and six subcategories. “Wise liberation” consisted of four subcategories: “living in the moment,” “accepting the inner and outer world,” “life enrichment,” and “building opportunities.” “Care” contained two subcategories: “caring for others” and “caring for oneself.”

Discovering safe coping strategies for nurses could set the stage for special educational–therapeutic interventions so they can better understand their experiences and take advantage of the best coping strategies.