Multidisciplinary First-Line Healthcare Leaders' Roles and Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ontario Canada

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Leadership Studies
• Pandemic Response

Background:

• First-line healthcare leaders were essential in guiding and supporting staff throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Their roles encompassed leading, motivating, and ensuring operational continuity in a crisis environment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the experiences of multidisciplinary first-line healthcare leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada.
• To analyze these experiences through the lens of transformational and crisis leadership theories.

Main Methods:

• A two-phase descriptive study (quantitative and qualitative) was conducted in spring 2021.
• Qualitative findings from semi-structured interviews with 19 first-line leaders are reported.
• The study involved nurse managers, professional practice leaders, advanced practice nurses, and clinical educators.

Main Results:

• Leaders' behaviors aligned with transformational and complexity leadership theories.
• Effective crisis leadership strategies included self-care, fostering teamwork, and collaborative leadership.
• Support from fellow first-line and senior leaders was identified as crucial.

Conclusions:

• The study validated the significant contributions of first-line healthcare leaders across diverse health sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Findings offer insights for developing healthcare leadership education programs for future crises.