Between a rock and a hard place: Nurse managers' experiences of large‐scale organizational change in the public health service

BACKGROUND: Nurse managers are often at the forefront of implementing organizational changes. Studies suggest that conflicting pressures and stress are high during such times, though little is known of how nurse managers experience the continuing run of change initiatives. AIMS: To explore nurse managers' experience of large‐scale organizational changes and its impact on their working lives and conditions. DESIGN: A qualitative phenomenological hermeneutical study utilizing a Ricœur‐inspired method of interpretation. METHODS: Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 12 nurse managers at a public sector university hospital that had recently undergone large‐scale organizational changes. Interviews were conducted in 2021 during the covid‐19 pandemic. The analysis is based on the three‐stage Ricœur‐inspired analysis method by Pedersen and Dreyer. RESULTS: Three themes emerged outlining the nurse managers experiences of large‐scale organizational change: The need for support structures to be incorporated in the change process, The need for a guiding star, and The challenge of the values embedded in the Nurse Manager mindset. These themes were consistent across both predominantly positive as well as mainly negative experiences. CONCLUSION: This study reveals the potential that receiving support from management, staff and peers has to positively influence the experiences of nurse managers during large‐scale organizational changes. However, lacking a clear vision for the process negatively influences their ability to support high‐level quality care within their wards, potentially increasing their feelings of stress and conflicting pressure. IMPACT: Participants offered important insight into the sparsely explored subject of nurse managers' experiences of organizational change, the complexity they face and the potentially high personal costs. The study highlights the detrimental effects of not providing support to all managers in organizations undergoing change, and the parallels to the covid‐19 pandemic. No Patient or Public Contribution was required for this study due to its aim.