Managing Leaders in the Midst of a Pandemic

Healthcare is an ever-changing environment that rarely sees downtime. Throughout a pandemic, the definition of “change” has reached levels that I never thought I would experience in my career. As a Director of Nursing, the everyday stress of managing chaos was thrown out the window at the beginning of our COVID-19 crisis and the struggle to manage pressure on nurse managers has increased immensely. So, how do we manage it? What are the keys to calm the chaos in the eye of the storm?

For starters, honesty. No one wants to be on the receiving end of half-truths or white lies. Transparency in the face of adversity allows managers and front-line staff to face the problem at hand as opposed to being lost in the “what-if” and “why not.” Regardless of your intention, as a leader, leaving key factors out during a crisis creates uncertainty in addition to leaving room for interpretation and the ability of staff to fill in the gaps they feel are missing. When addressing your staff, be direct, be honest and if you don’t know – it’s ok to say that too. There have been times throughout my nursing career that the right answer is that I don’t know –but I will be the first person to let you know as soon as I find out. Although leaders at every level are held to a higher standard and are looked upon to “know everything” there is comfort in knowing that during a time of uncertainty, your leader was honest enough to admit that they didn’t know.

Next, remind your leaders that it is ok, to not be ok. Over the past few weeks’ nurses have become the sole provider for their families, teachers to their kids and the key to success in overcoming a pandemic. No pressure, right? It is ok to have an enormous amount of stress, to be worried about bringing home a new disease that we don’t fully understand yet, to be upset about your significant other being out of a job or having minimal hours. It is ok and it is normal. Encouraging your leaders to take a day off even during a crisis (yes, I said it!) can mean the difference between managing your stress and being pushed over the edge. Taking time to take care of your team can mean the difference between you becoming a stronger leader or coming out with new manager positions to fill. Everyone has a limit and as leaders in a healthcare organization, it is our job to identify limits that others may not see.

Finally, celebrate your leaders AND your front-line staff. Celebrate every win. Celebrate their first day floating to your COVID area and making it through the day. Celebrate the first positive patient that actually got discharged. Celebrate your first extubation. Celebrate your leaders and staff for getting up every single day to come to work even though they are scared about what the day will bring and worried about what we still don’t know. Thank YOU for being a leader during the COVID-19 crisis and thank you to those who are caring for the patients and each other, every. single. day.