• Gianluca Catania, Milko Zanini, Mark Hayter, Fiona Timmins, Nicoletta Dasso, Giulia Ottonello, Giuseppe Aleo, Loredana Sasso, and Annamaria Bagnasco.
• Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
• J Nurs Manag. 2021 Apr 1; 29 (3): 404-411.

AimTo explore nursing management issues within COVID-19 narratives of Italian front-line nurses.BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected health systems and professionals worldwide. Italian nurses have key messages for nursing leaders following their acute experiences in the pandemic.MethodA descriptive qualitative study with thematic analysis.ResultsTwenty-three testimonies from clinical nurses were analysed. Six macrothemes were identified as follows: organisational and logistic change; leadership models adopted to manage the emergency; changes in nursing approaches; personal protective equipment issues; physical and psychological impact on nurses; and team value/spirit.ConclusionsOur testimonies highlighted the huge impact of COVID-19 on the Italian nursing workforce, especially in terms of the high risks associated with caring for COVID-19 patients, exacerbated by the shortage of appropriate personal protective equipment. Nurses had to care for their colleagues and live separately from their families to avoid infecting them, revealing nurses' resilience and the important role of effective and sensitive management.Implications For Nursing ManagementNurse managers must be prepared for the impact of pandemics on staff and need to ensure availability and replacement of quality personal protective equipment, rehearse strategies for communicating with patients while wearing personal protective equipment and establish protocols for communicating with relatives.© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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