Aim: This study aims to explore how nursing services were managed and provided in intensive care units during the COVID-19 pandemic and clarify the management lessons learned.
Background: The surge in the number of patients with COVID-19 worldwide and the unpredictability of new variants mean the voices of nurse managers who participated in fighting the pandemic in intensive care units must be considered. Health care systems need specific plans to face similar future crises.
Method: This is a descriptive, qualitative, narrative study using indirect content analysis.
Results: We analysed 37 intensive care unit nurse managers' reflections on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. Four themes were extracted: restructuring organisations' resources, issues with family-centred care, education and training and policy reforms.
Conclusions: Promising strategies for Emirati intensive care units in planning for responses to future crises include maximizing organisation resources, boosting family-centred care, providing in-service training for nurses and policy reform.
Implications for nursing management: Our findings will support health care leaders, educators, policymakers and researchers to improve the management of similar pandemic situations. This study presents fundamental data concerning the subjective experiences of intensive care unit nurse managers. These experiences may inform development of multi-dimensional strategies including: ensuring the adequacy of projected supplies, space and nursing workforce; establishing communication protocols; and reforming existing policies.
Keywords: COVID-19; content analysis; intensive care unit; lessons; nursing; recommendation.
© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.