Occupational relationships and working duties of nursing management staff during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A qualitative analysis of survey responses

AIMS: To reflect on the situation of nurse managers, examining their professional relationships and additional working duties during the second COVID‐19 wave. DESIGN: Cross‐sectional online survey with open questions. METHODS: Nurse managers from different healthcare institutions, for example, hospitals and nursing homes, were included. Data collection took place from November 2020 to March 2021. Open questions were analysed with qualitative content analysis. RESULT: In total, 321 managers took part. With regard to professional relationships, four main themes were identified: cooperation, cohesion, communication and consequences. While cooperation and cohesion in the nursing and the interprofessional team were predominantly considered positive, communication was seen as challenging. Additional work duties arose in relation to fulfilling regulatory requirements, managing personnel and carrying out both organizational and informational tasks. Consequences of the pandemic were mentioned in two thematic categories (professional relations and additional work duties). Participants referred to a loss of image, a reduction in job satisfaction and mental stress. CONCLUSION: The regulation of certain tasks by the central authority, such as the enrolment of employees to manage the use of personal protective equipment, would make the managers' duties simpler. This would enable them to direct their attention towards their teams and provide necessary support in other parts of their profession. IMPACT: What problem did the study address? Nursing managers are important members of the nursing team and faced particular challenges during the pandemic. Nevertheless, their perspectives are rarely presented in research. What were the main findings? Overall, communication was perceived as good, and cohesion was strengthened during the pandemic. However, heavy burdens were placed on nursing managers due to the numerous additional tasks. On whom will the research have an impact? Facility managers and government representatives are called upon to provide supportive measures and clear information for nursing managers to relieve them from additional duties during the pandemic.