Why you should read this article:

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To enhance your knowledge of the importance of leadership in nursing

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To familiarise yourself with the pressures of leading during the COVID-19 pandemic

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To develop your understanding of the role of communication in leadership

The role of leadership in nursing and healthcare is continuously being examined, and has undergone increasing public and media scrutiny due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This article details a project that brought together five final-year nursing students and two experienced nurses who had all worked as part of the early response to the pandemic. Meeting regularly online, the participants sought to explore the literature on nursing leadership as well as their own clinical experience and personal reflections of leadership during the pandemic.

This process, which took place over a period of four months, also enabled the participants to examine their own leadership style. Four themes emerged from the group discussions: learning about and building on the history of nursing, the participants’ role in nursing leadership, effective leadership during times of uncertainty and the role of communication in effective leadership.