Political influence, facilitators and barriers in the decision-making processes of executive nurse leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain: an ethnographic study

Abstract

To describe the political influence Executive Nurse Leaders (ENLs) in Spain had on decision-making processes during the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying facilitators and barriers to executive and policy-related decision-making and implementation. A focused ethnographic study, with a direct qualitative analysis of manifest content. Twenty-five semistructured interviews were conducted with ENLs who held senior management positions in one of the executive roles included. The study includes the following executive roles: Chief Nurse Executive in the autonomous government and Chief Executive Officer, Chief Nurse Officer, and Assistant Chief Nurse Officer in healthcare organisations. The study period was from February 2020 until December 2022.