Nursing Management Challenges in the Face of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Military Hospitals: A Qualitative Study

The COVID-19 pandemic led public health systems to encounter major challenges. Nurses in hospitals are serving on the frontline in encountering disasters and military hospitals have a vital role in the health response to disasters. The aim of this study was to explore the nursing management challenges in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic in military hospitals.

This qualitative study with a conventional content analysis approach was conducted in 2021. Fourteen nursing administrators from seven military hospitals in Tehran were enrolled using purposive sampling. In-depth and semi-structured interviews were used for data collection and continued until reaching data saturation.

Four main categories emerged from the data analysis: “Human barriers” (Support, Commitment, Culture, Staff management, Volunteers Management), “Financial barriers” (Budget, Equipment), “Organizational barriers” (Organizing, Rules and Regulations, Planning, Training, Drill), and “Communicational barriers” (Communications and Coordination, Information management).

The complex crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic can lead to instability and numerous challenges in the nursing management process, especially related to rules and regulations, volunteer management, extra-organizational coordination, and information management in military hospitals. With correct and accurate planning, scientific and, decisive management, and unity of command, these challenges can be prevented from affecting the disaster risk management process in military hospitals.