Early Nurse Management Experiences from Finnish Primary Health Care Clinics Functioning as COVID-19 Care Sites
Nevala, Mari (2021)
Nevala, Mari
2021
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2021122190318
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2021122190318
Tiivistelmä
The COVID-19 health care crisis has burdened health care systems around the world. Primary health care (PHC) organizations are the point of access for many patients; however, the focus of crisis response work has been in securing hospital capacities. The purpose of this study was to describe the early nurse management experiences in PHC clinics in the greater Helsinki area dedicated to caring for patients with possible COVID-19 symptoms during the COVID-19 epidemic. The study objectives were to make PHC crisis response contributions known and to provide an in-action-review of crisis response efforts. Nurse managers from the four COVID-19 care sites in the capital area were interviewed using thematic pair interviews. The data were analyzed inductively using thematic analysis, by which four main themes emerged: capacity development leading to a state of flux, importance of infection prevention in COVID-19 crisis response work, management of staff during crisis response work and overall experiences. The nurse managers spoke of how capacity development has led to a state of flux which has lasted over a year and continues to stress the provision of PHC services. Conversation surrounding infection prevention control (IPC) measures was significant and some discrepancies were evident, suggesting that global efforts to increase and standardize IPC standards must begin within our local communities. Leadership methods were developed to accommodate for the crisis, especially regarding the motivation of staff with limited resources. Nurse managers of COVID-19 care sites have stood in the face of uncertainty and have led their staff with resilience through the beginning of an unprecedented global crisis. They now need more support in motivating nursing staff as the focus of crisis response work shifts to crisis recovery work. A vision towards which to aspire is needed.