Nursing leadership strategies in addressing COVID-19 in light of John Kotter's framework.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the leadership strategies of nurses in university hospitals in response to care management changes during the COVID-19 pandemic, informed by John Kotter's insights. METHODS: This multicentric study utilized qualitative and analytical methods. It was conducted through semi-structured interviews with 139 lead nurses from 10 university hospitals in Brazil. Data analysis included Bardin's content analysis and the webQDA software. RESULTS: The primary category identified was "Nursing Leadership Strategies in the Battle Against COVID-19," encompassing five subcategories. This category underscored the importance of strategic vision in nursing leadership for combating COVID-19 within hospital settings, as well as the necessity of working collaboratively with their teams and other healthcare professionals. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS The results highlight the strategies used by lead nurses in confronting COVID-19, which can be associated with John Kotter's theoretical framework and his model of change.