Other Titles
Virtual Session
Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has created tremendous strain across all healthcare sectors: ethical dilemmas, inadequate resources, uncertainty, threats to patient safety, and stress and fear in healthcare professionals. The experiences of frontline workers during COVID-19 are well documented however, there has been less attention on those who have held frontline leadership positions outside of nursing (Hartney et al., 2022). The multiple pandemic waves and subsequent impact on staff have revealed the critical role of frontline leaders across healthcare systems who inspire, encourage and support staff, in addition to maintaining care delivery to patients and families during this crisis (Bookey-Bassett et al. 2021). This study explored interprofessional first line healthcare leaders' experiences of leading during the COVID-19 pandemic in various healthcare organizations in Ontario. In particular, the supports and strategies used by leaders to enact their roles during the crisis were elucidated.
Methods: This study was conducted during the third wave of the pandemic (May to August 2021) using a descriptive two-phase mixed methods sequential (quantitative & qualitative) design. Phase 1 used an electronic survey that was sent via email to first-line leaders in different health sectors in Ontario. Participants included healthcare leaders in roles such as nurse managers, professional practice leaders (e.g., occupational and physiotherapists), advanced practice nurses, and clinical educators. The focus of this presentation is on Phase 2 of the study where a subset (n=19) of the Phase 1 participants were interviewed to gain a deeper understanding of their experiences, including supports available to them as leaders, and strategies used to navigate challenges in leading throughout the pandemic including self-care. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted and recorded via zoom to facilitate transcription and data analysis. Qualitative data from the transcripts were analyzed using inductive and deductive approaches to identify key themes and to answer the research questions.
Results: Leaders identified a variety of supports, strategies and self-care activities as being important to their ability to lead during the COVID-19 pandemic. Support available to leaders included: internal organizational support from peer frontline leaders, infection prevention and control staff, and senior leaders; employee assistance and wellness programs. External support included access to provincial databases and consultations. Strategies used to lead included networking, teamwork and collaborative leadership, advocacy and being flexible. Leaders described taking time for their own mental, physical and emotional health as key factors enabling them to continue to lead during the ongoing pandemic. These findings have important implications for establishing healthy work environments where leaders and their staff are supported.
Sigma Membership
Lambda Pi at-Large
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document, Video Recording
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Interprofessional, Interdisciplinary, Workforce, Frontline Workers, Leaders
Recommended Citation
Bookey-Bassett, Sue; Belov, Michelle; Purdy, Nancy; Rose, Donald; and Woodside, Melanie, "Supports, Strategies and Self-Care for Interprofessional Frontline Leaders During COVID-19: Implications for Healthy Work Environments" (2025). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 13.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2023/presentations_2023/13
Conference Name
Creating Healthy Work Environments
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Austin, Texas, USA and Virtual
Conference Year
2023
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Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2025-10-14
Supports, Strategies and Self-Care for Interprofessional Frontline Leaders During COVID-19: Implications for Healthy Work Environments
Austin, Texas, USA and Virtual
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has created tremendous strain across all healthcare sectors: ethical dilemmas, inadequate resources, uncertainty, threats to patient safety, and stress and fear in healthcare professionals. The experiences of frontline workers during COVID-19 are well documented however, there has been less attention on those who have held frontline leadership positions outside of nursing (Hartney et al., 2022). The multiple pandemic waves and subsequent impact on staff have revealed the critical role of frontline leaders across healthcare systems who inspire, encourage and support staff, in addition to maintaining care delivery to patients and families during this crisis (Bookey-Bassett et al. 2021). This study explored interprofessional first line healthcare leaders' experiences of leading during the COVID-19 pandemic in various healthcare organizations in Ontario. In particular, the supports and strategies used by leaders to enact their roles during the crisis were elucidated.
Methods: This study was conducted during the third wave of the pandemic (May to August 2021) using a descriptive two-phase mixed methods sequential (quantitative & qualitative) design. Phase 1 used an electronic survey that was sent via email to first-line leaders in different health sectors in Ontario. Participants included healthcare leaders in roles such as nurse managers, professional practice leaders (e.g., occupational and physiotherapists), advanced practice nurses, and clinical educators. The focus of this presentation is on Phase 2 of the study where a subset (n=19) of the Phase 1 participants were interviewed to gain a deeper understanding of their experiences, including supports available to them as leaders, and strategies used to navigate challenges in leading throughout the pandemic including self-care. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted and recorded via zoom to facilitate transcription and data analysis. Qualitative data from the transcripts were analyzed using inductive and deductive approaches to identify key themes and to answer the research questions.
Results: Leaders identified a variety of supports, strategies and self-care activities as being important to their ability to lead during the COVID-19 pandemic. Support available to leaders included: internal organizational support from peer frontline leaders, infection prevention and control staff, and senior leaders; employee assistance and wellness programs. External support included access to provincial databases and consultations. Strategies used to lead included networking, teamwork and collaborative leadership, advocacy and being flexible. Leaders described taking time for their own mental, physical and emotional health as key factors enabling them to continue to lead during the ongoing pandemic. These findings have important implications for establishing healthy work environments where leaders and their staff are supported.
Description
Summary: This study describes interprofessional frontline healthcare leaders' experiences of leading during the COVID-19 pandemic in various healthcare organizations in Ontario. Here we share the supports, strategies, and self-care approaches used by leaders to enact their roles during the crisis.