Background: To reduce the likelihood of transmission of infection to health‑care workers (HCWs), personal protective equipment (PPE) is used. However, various barriers challenges are faced during use of PPE, leads to poor compliance to PPE. Nurses as frontline workers are experiencing barriers while discharging their duties Aim: This study aimed to explore nurses’ perspectives on and experiences of safety-related challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This was a descriptive type of cross-sectional study conducted among 300 nurses who were working in the non-COVID unit at a tertiary care hospital, central India. Sampling was done by convenience sampling method. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to the respondents to obtain information. Data were collected through a face-to-face interview Results: The study found that 83% of respondents were females, and the mean age was 30.8 ±5.3. 53% completed a diploma in nursing, 61% of their working experience was 1-5 years, and 53% were working in the inpatient department. The major barriers identified were lack of guidelines, shortage of PPE, inadequate training coverage, lack of area for doffing and donning, and inadequate social distancing. Statistical analysis showed that different departments of work had a significant association (p<0.05) with inadequate training coverage. Conclusions: The barriers identified in this study should be overcome to improve nurses’ experiences in the workplace and in turn the quality of patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic.