International nurse education leaders’ experiences of responding to the COVID‐19 pandemic: A qualitative study

Abstract

Aims To explore the experiences of strategic leads for nurse education as they sought to respond to the COVID‐19 pandemic. Design We utilised a qualitative interpretative approach to explore education leaders’ experiences of leading during the early months of the pandemic. Methods Nineteen leaders with significant strategic responsibility for nurse education in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom were identified via purposive sampling and agreed to participate. Interviews were held between May and July 2020. Results Four overarching themes arose from the analysis: (1) Crisis driven adaptability & flexibility; (2) Responsive, complex and changing communication; (3) Making decisions for student and staff safety; (4) Looking to the future; stronger partnerships. Conclusion Internationally, while nursing education leaders faced different problems, they shared a common goal amidst the crisis to remain student‐centred. They demonstrated they were able to face major challenges, respond to large scale logistical problems and make decisions under significant and ongoing pressure. Impact In responding to the pandemic, nurse leaders shared knowledge and offered mutual support. This bodes well for future collaboration. The move to online learning accelerated an existing trend and it seems likely that this will continue. Given the pressures they experienced over an extended period, the sector may wish to consider how it prepares and supports existing and future leaders.

Australian nurses' and midwives’ perceptions of their workplace environment during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Research reports estimate between 30% and 80% of nurses do not wish to attend work during disasters, further highlighting the need to understand nurses' and midwives' workplace experiences during a pandemic event ( Labrague et al, 2018 ). While the majority of the COVID-19 nursing and midwifery research has been carried out overseas the limited nursing and midwifery research conducted in Australia is consistent with the international findings ( Fernandez, Lord, Moxham, Middleton, & Halcomb, 2021 ;Halcomb et al, 2020 ;Hammond et al, 2021 ;Homer, Davies-Tuck, Dahlen, & Scarf, 2021 ;Ion et al, 2021 ;Middleton et al, 2021 ;Rasmussen et al, 2022 ;Wynter et al, 2021 ). Nurses and midwives have reported poor mental health ( Al Maqbali, Al Sinani, & Al-Lenjawi, 2021 ;Jarden et al, 2021 ;Middleton et al, 2021 ;Varghese et al, 2021 ), burnout ( Galanis, Vraka, Fragkou, Bilali, & Kaitelidou, 2021 ), and sleep disturbance ( Al Maqbali et al, 2021 ) due to workplace stress and stigmatisation during COVID-19 ( Schubert et al, 2021 ).…”

Reflections on nursing research focusing on the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…Nurses have been and remain at the heart of the response to the pandemic––nurses are central to preventative, curative and palliative activities associated with COVID‐19, and have taken these roles on in addition to their usual roles. Nurses of all levels and career stages have responded to and been affected by the pandemic––from students of nursing, through to academic and executive nurses (Heilferty et al, 2021 ; Ion et al, 2021 ; Riddell et al, 2022 ). Nurse researchers have also been very responsive to the pandemic.…”

“…Nurses have recognized the particular needs of people with chronic and underlying health needs during the pandemic and have modified approaches to care to ensure that patients and consumers still had access to the best possible care that could be delivered during the pandemic (Ryan & Meskell, 2022 ; Searby & Burr, 2021 ). Similarly, administrators and academic nurses have revised processes and their ways of working to be optimally responsive during the pandemic, in the constraints that were faced (Ion et al, 2021 ; Riddell et al, 2022 ).…”

“…The pandemic is not yet over and the final effects of the pandemic will not be known for several years. Despite the extent and demands of the COVID‐19 pandemic, nurses have and continue to collaborate and share information to address the challenges presented by the pandemic (Ion et al, 2021 ; Riddell et al, 2022 ), and this has resulted in the ability of nurses and nursing to effectively respond to a dynamic and rapidly changing situation. The empirical knowledge that nurses have produced and shared through the pages of the journal will help us to better respond to future public health crises.…”

Educating Nursing Students Through the Pandemic: The Essentials of Collaboration

“…Of note, parallels exist between the Council's and international nursing education leaders'' approach to the COVID-19 pandemic (Agu et al, 2021,;Ion et al, 2021). Nursing education leaders from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Canada, and the United Kingdom have shared themes that align with the Council's experience: (1) the need to be flexible and adaptable, (2) responsive, multifaceted and varying communication, (3) decision-making that prioritizes student and faculty safety while assisting students to complete their nursing programs in a timely fashion, and (4) plan for the future by developing strong partnerships.…”