A Complexity-Informed Phenomenologic Study of Canadian Academic Nursing Leadership: Leading Through the Pandemic With Lessons Learned for Managing Future Crises.

backgroundThe leadership challenges in the Canadian healthcare system became more complex during the global pandemic. Major disruptions in nursing education programs occurred simultaneously, creating an acute adaptive crisis. Academic nursing leaders were required to respond to rapidly changing public health directives and institutional policies while ensuring the safety and continuity of their nursing program.

aimThe purpose of this qualitative study was to explore higher education nursing leadership experiences, including leader styles, interactions, risk management, decision-making, changes to education programs, daily operations, and team dynamics.

methodsThe study used an interpretative phenomenologically informed design, which was informed by complexity leadership theory. Semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 academic nursing leaders across Canada. Recruitment and data collection occurred from spring 2023 to fall 2024 during the final phases of the COVID pandemic. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed following the principles of content analysis.

resultsContent analysis of the 20 interviews revealed three main themes: maintaining quality nursing education programs; administrative decision challenges; and communication during a crisis.

conclusionsStudy findings provide insights into the often invisible work of academic nursing leaders navigating the intersection of educational continuity, regulatory requirements, student progression, faculty workload, clinical placement disruption, institutional policy, and public health directives. Ensuring effective organizational adaptation was the major focus of complexity nursing leadership. In preparation for potential future crises, succession planning and preparation of future leaders are a priority.