Abstract

Crises provide opportunities for growth in professional competencies to enable healthcare providers to effectively cope, and potentially thrive, during periods of instability and uncertainty in the health system. This qualitative study (part of a larger mixed-methods investigation) provides guidance for educators who seek to prepare current and future healthcare professionals to provide optimal patient care when a crisis arises or continues indefinitely. One aim of this study was to learn from the experiences of healthcare practitioners during the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic with the goal of identifying educational enhancements that would better prepare students and educators for subsequent crises. Thirty-three participants, all healthcare professionals working in various practice settings during the pandemic, were interviewed. Lawless and Chen’s [1] Critical Thematic Analysis (CTA) guided data analysis. Three themes emerged: knowledge enhancements, skill enhancements and re-imagining and teaching self-care. Recommendations around these themes are provided to guide both pre-service and in-service educators who are preparing healthcare professionals to deal successfully with subsequent crises impacting the health system while maintaining their own well-being.

Keywords: Healthcare professionals; Post-secondary health education; Nursing education; Crisis.