Hospital Administration during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Administrators’ and Healthcare Workers’ Experiences

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global health problem that has put a tremendous amount of pressure on healthcare systems worldwide. This pressure has taken its toll on hospitals, administrators and healthcare workers. Prevention and management are the best ways of fighting against COVID-19. This article focused on healthcare workers’ and hospital administrators’ experiences with the pandemic. This study adopted a qualitative phenomenological design to draw on hospital administrators’ and healthcare workers’ first-hand experience of the pandemic. Most participants stated that the pandemic took a physical and psychosocial toll on them. They noted that although they experienced some challenges, the pandemic brought with it opportunities as well. They remarked that they needed psychosocial support. Five main themes and fourteen subthemes were developed based on the interviews: ‘access’, ‘appreciating things’, ‘fight against COVID-19’, ‘a physically and emotionally challenging time’ and ‘times of need’. The pandemic has taken its toll on all healthcare systems around the world. It has been a never-before-seen challenge for all departments of hospitals. Leaders, healthcare organisations and healthcare workers have worked relentlessly to keep the pandemic under control. However, tackling the pandemic is not only their responsibility. It is evident that the public should also have a certain awareness to support the state and healthcare workers in their struggle against the pandemic.