Project Overview

Public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the importance of effective crisis leadership within healthcare systems. Health leaders are required to navigate complex and rapidly changing environments while supporting healthcare teams, making difficult decisions, managing limited resources, and maintaining organizational resilience.

This CIHR-funded study examines the experiences of health leaders and nurses during and following the COVID-19 pandemic across Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario. The study aims to better understand how leadership can support the psychological health and well-being of both health leaders and nurses, reduce strain and burnout, and strengthen organizational resilience during future healthcare crises.

Study Objectives

The study explores how health leaders responded to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and how their leadership influenced nurses' workplace experiences and psychological well-being. Findings will be used to identify evidence-informed leadership strategies and practices that can strengthen crisis preparedness, support healthcare workers, and improve organizational resilience during periods of crisis and recovery.

Methods

The study uses multiple research methods across five aims:

• Health Leader Interviews: Interviews with health leaders across Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario to understand their experiences and leadership responses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Nurse Experiences: Interviews examining nurses' work experiences, changing working conditions, and psychological health and well-being.

• Leadership and Well-Being: Interviews exploring how health leaders support their own psychological health and well-being while mitigating strain and burnout among nurses.

• Data Integration: Findings from leaders and nurses will be integrated to examine how leadership practices influence psychological health, well-being, and organizational resilience.

• Strategy Development: A nominal group technique will identify strategies, practices, and recommendations to strengthen health leadership, nurses' well-being, and organizational resilience during future crises.

Current Study Progress

To date, 49 interviews with health leaders have been completed, along with four focus groups with nurses. Recruitment remains ongoing.

As of July 2026, the research strategy for the nurse component of the study was expanded to include semi-structured individual interviews rather than only focus groups. This change provides greater flexibility for nurses with busy schedules and allows a broader range of experiences to be represented.

If you would like more information about the study or to become a research participant, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Principal Investigator, Dr. Sonia Udod, for more information at sonia.udod@umanitoba.ca. You can also reach out to her Data Manager for this study, Saba Raja, at saba.raja@umanitoba.ca.