Nurse, physician urge leaders to focus on staff support, resilience

A nurse, a physician and a public health professor with experience in disaster response recommend health care organizations implement three strategies to enhance organizational cohesion and reduce adverse effects on employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors urge institutional leaders to structure crisis communications to provide information and empowerment; create a continuum of staff support; and provide leadership focused on resilience. “Effective crisis management provides a clear, optimistic vision and realistic plan; takes decisive action; and facilitates open, honest, and frequent communication. Leaders should make extra efforts to thank workers and express gratitude for the extra burden being imposed on them,” they write. (Annals of Internal Medicine article, 4/6/20)