Aim To explore experiences of front-line nurse managers during COVID-19. Background The COVID-19 pandemic has complicated care provision and health care management around the world. Nurse managers have had to face the challenge of managing a crisis with precarious resources. Little research has been published about the experiences of nurse managers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A qualitative descriptive study of 10 front-line nurse managers at a highly specialised university hospital in Spain was carried out. Semistructured interviews were conducted between June and September 2020. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist was used for reporting. Results Six themes emerged: constant adaptation to change; participation in decision-making; management of uncertainty; prioritisation of the biopsychosocial well-being of the staff; preservation of humanised care; and “one for all”. Conclusions This study provides evidence for the experiences of nurse managers during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, analysing these experiences has helped identify some of the key competencies that these nurses must have to respond to a crisis and in their dual role as patient and nurse mediators. Implications for nursing management Knowing about the experiences of front-line nurse managers during the pandemic can facilitate planning and preparing nurse managers for future health disasters, including subsequent waves of COVID-19.

This study aims to identify the most effective interventions to facilitate nurses' clinical leadership in the hospital setting. There is a gap in the literature on the identification and measurement of effective interventions for leadership skill development among clinical nurses in hospitals. To the best of our knowledge, no systematic review has been performed on this issue. A systematic review was conducted. The PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Cochrane databases were reviewed. Data extraction, quality appraisal and narrative synthesis were conducted in line with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The evidence reveals that interventions designed to promote nurses' clinical leadership are complex, requiring that cognitive, interpersonal and intrinsic competencies as well as psychological empowerment, emotional intelligence and critical reflexivity skills be addressed. The development of multicomponent, theory‐based and mixed‐format programmes may be more suitable to facilitate nurses' clinical leadership in the hospital setting. Strategies to facilitate nurses' clinical leadership in the hospital setting should address simultaneously the knowledge and ability of bedsides nurses to solve the practical problem collaboratively with a sense of control, competency and autonomy. Hence, it would promote high quality care, satisfaction and retention of bedside nurses.