Crisis and exceptional situations bring major changes in the way hospital organizations operate. This requires flexible, resilient, and adaptable management as well as strong management and leadership competence, taking into account digitalization and hybrid work. These themes will be addressed in this study, which will provide information on change and crisis management and the factors influencing success, the management and leadership competence required and the work wellbeing of managers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the study was to describe the experiences of nurse managers in change and crisis management as well as wellbeing in a hospital organization during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was carried out as a qualitative descriptive study in Finland. The data were collected in thematic individual interviews between June and October 2021 in one central hospital. The study involved nurse managers (n = 20) who worked in frontline or middle management positions in hospital. They led work units or profit areas in which the COVID-19 pandemic had caused changes in operations. The data were analyzed by inductive or deductive content analysis. The results can be utilized in the management of change and exceptional situations in the hospital organizations. The results can also be used in managerial work, basic and continuing education of managers, strengthening competence and work wellbeing, administrative decision-making and further research. Principal Investigator: Adjunct Professor Outi Kanste (outi.kanste@oulu.fi) Research Unit of Nursing Science and Health Management University of Oulu

2022