IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v21y2024i9p1154-d1467794.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Reality of Healthcare Professionals in Leadership Positions at the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Nancy Shehadeh

    (Department of Health Administration, College of Business, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA)

  • Georgina Silva-Suarez

    (Department of Sociobehavioral and Administrative Pharmacy, Nova Southeastern University, San Juan, PR 00926, USA)

  • Emily Ptaszek

    (Community Health Partnership, Colorado Springs, CO 80903, USA)

  • Farah Roman Velez

    (Barry and Judy Silverman College of Pharmacy, Nova Southeastern University, San Juan, PR 00926, USA)

Abstract

While pandemics have long been a topic of discussion in public health, COVID-19 placed healthcare leaders in a completely new and challenging situation. This qualitative study sought to understand the personal experiences of healthcare professionals in leadership roles at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sixteen in-depth interviews were conducted and recorded via Zoom. Most participants were men ( n = 8, 57.1%) and had a doctorate or master’s degree ( n = 8, 57.1%). The themes of mental health, dynamic infrastructure, and transformative experience emerged from our participants’ narratives. Most respondents reported heightened stress during that time and shared the institutional and personal mechanisms they used to deal with the situation. They were proud of their profession and their work. They discussed the “dynamic infrastructure” they experienced at the time that helped them lead. Feeling overworked was a common experience for them. Most considered leading during COVID-19 a “transformative experience” that taught them valuable lessons. They also witnessed acts of heroism as their colleagues continued to work during difficult times, even though some succumbed to COVID-19. Despite all the challenges and uncertainties healthcare professionals in leadership positions faced at the onset of COVID-19, their resilience, dedication, and commitment to their profession prevailed. In conclusion, the firsthand experiences recounted by healthcare leaders in this study shed light on the multifaceted nature of leadership during a global health crisis. Their unwavering resilience, dedication, and commitment stand as a testament to the fortitude required in such demanding circumstances. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, the insights gleaned from this research bear significant implications for informing future strategies and support systems aimed at bolstering healthcare leadership worldwide.

Suggested Citation

  • Nancy Shehadeh & Georgina Silva-Suarez & Emily Ptaszek & Farah Roman Velez, 2024. "The Reality of Healthcare Professionals in Leadership Positions at the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(9), pages 1-13, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:9:p:1154-:d:1467794
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/9/1154/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/9/1154/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Carmen Alvarez & Holly Sims & Kimesha Grant & Jessica Walczak & Paula Darby Lipman & Jill A. Marsteller & Lisa A. Cooper & on behalf of RICH LIFE Project Investigators, 2022. "Healthcare Leadership Perspectives on Supporting Frontline Workers in Health Center Settings during the Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-11, March.
    2. Singh, Anjali & Lim, Weng Marc & Jha, Sumi & Kumar, Satish & Ciasullo, Maria Vincenza, 2023. "The state of the art of strategic leadership," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yucheng Zhang & Zhiling Wang & Lin Xiao & Lijun Wang & Pei Huang, 2023. "Discovering the evolution of online reviews: A bibliometric review," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 33(1), pages 1-22, December.
    2. repec:bfv:sbsrec:002 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Motasem Y. D. Alazaiza & Tharaa Mahmoud Alzghoul & Tahra Al Maskari & Salem Abu Amr & Dia Eddin Nassani, 2024. "Analyzing the Evolution of Research on Student Awareness of Solid Waste Management in Higher Education Institutions: A Bibliometric Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-22, June.
    4. Liang, Jian & Jain, Ameeta & Newman, Alexander & Mount, Matthew P. & Kim, Jooyoung, 2024. "Motivated to be socially responsible? CEO regulatory focus, firm performance, and corporate social responsibility," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    5. Matei Gina & Vavura Nicolae-Marius, 2024. "Innovation at the Board Level: Bibliometric Analysis over Three Decades," Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence, Sciendo, vol. 18(1), pages 1029-1044.
    6. Satish Kumar & Weng Marc Lim & Riya Sureka & Charbel Jose Chiappetta Jabbour & Umesh Bamel, 2024. "Balanced scorecard: trends, developments, and future directions," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 18(8), pages 2397-2439, August.
    7. Alexandra Mora-Cruz & Pedro R. Palos-Sanchez, 2023. "Crowdfunding platforms: a systematic literature review and a bibliometric analysis," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 19(3), pages 1257-1288, September.
    8. Cosma, Simona & Rimo, Giuseppe & Torluccio, Giuseppe, 2023. "Knowledge mapping of model risk in banking," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    9. Faith O. Sivili & Peter A. Boateng, 2023. "Assessment of Strategic Leadership Practices in Small Business Settings," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(5), pages 424-433, May.
    10. Azmat, Fara & Lim, Weng Marc & Moyeen, Abdul & Voola, Ranjit & Gupta, Girish, 2023. "Convergence of business, innovation, and sustainability at the tipping point of the sustainable development goals," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:9:p:1154-:d:1467794. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.