J Educ Res Nurs. Ahead of Print: JERN-33677 | DOI: 10.14744/jern.2025.33677

Experiences of Nurse Managers in a Pandemic Disaster: A Qualitative Study on COVID-19

Azize Atlı Özbaş¹, Sevilay Şenol Çelik², Mustafa Sabri Kovancı¹, Hafize Savaş³, Yusuf Çelik^4
1Department of Psychiatric Nursing, Hacettepe University Faculty of Nursing, Ankara, Türkiye
²Koç University, School of Nursing, İstanbul, Türkiye
³Department of Nursing, Lokman Hekim University Faculty of Health Sciences, Ankara, Türkiye
⁴Department of Health Management, Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar University, İstanbul, Türkiye

Background: Workforce planning and the management of personal protective equipment are important issues in maintaining the quality of care and protecting the healthcare workforce during Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Aim: This study aimed to explore the experiences of nurse managers regarding the management of nursing services during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on their roles in workforce planning, prevention of contamination, communication management, provision of psychosocial support, and leadership practices under crisis conditions.
Methods: A phenomenological research design with purposeful sampling was used among 14 chief nurse officers. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured online interviews and analyzed using context analysis.

Results: According to the results of this study, the mean age of participants was 33.76±5.26 years, the mean professional experience was 11.46±5.90 years, and the mean working experience as a nurse manager was 7.23±3.90 years. The analysis revealed four main themes: workforce planning and management, prevention of contamination, communication and coordination processes, and psychosocial and leadership challenges. Nurse managers described developing strategies to ensure staff safety, maintain service continuity, and support nurses’ well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion: The study highlights that nurse managers played a crucial role in ensuring the continuity of nursing services during the COVID-19 pandemic through effective workforce management, contamination prevention, and staff support strategies. However, the lack of institutional, psychosocial, and educational support mechanisms for nurse managers created significant challenges in fulfilling their managerial and leadership responsibilities. Strengthening organizational preparedness and targeted support programs for nurse leaders is essential for future health crises.

Keywords: COVID-19, chief nurse officers, nursing leadership, nursing workforce planning, personal protective equipment, qualitative, SARS-CoV-2 infection

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