Exploring perspectives of nurses' who underwent redeployment in the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study

<i>Background</i>: The COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented event that spread rapidly and posed a global threat to lives and livelihoods, significantly impacting the healthcare system worldwide, including Indonesia. In response to hospital workforce shortages, internal redeployment practices were implemented. However, the impact of hospital redeployment practices on clinical nurses during the pandemic in Indonesia remains largely unexplored.<i>Aim</i>: The study aimed to explore the perspectives of clinical nurses' staff who underwent redeployment on the COVID-19 unit during the first wave of the pandemic in East Java, Indonesia.<i>Method</i>: The study design was a qualitative descriptive design. Purposive sampling was used to recruit clinical nurses who had been redeployed to the COVID-19 Unit. Virtual, semi-structured one-on-one interviews were conducted via video conference. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.<i>Results</i>: A total of nine clinical nurses, who were recruited and included in the analyses, reported deployment from the regular unit into the COVID-19 isolation room (77.8%) and the Intensive Care Unit for COVID-19 (22,2%). Seven key themes were identified: (1) Strategic workforce selection criteria; (2) Intra-hospital staffing reorganisation; (3) Reconfiguration of nursing care delivery; (4) Adaptation of work arrangements; (5) Workforce protection and support measures; (6) Multifaceted challenges of redeployment; and (7) Balancing burden and growth.<i>Conclusion</i>: Redeployment of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic in hospital-based setting was an important strategy applied by Indonesian healthcare systems to cope with the surge in patient presentations and demand. In Indonesia, such practice of redeployment reflected both institutional response and the impact of collectivist cultural values on professional behaviour. Recognising these aspects was essential to maintain continuity of services during the pandemic when hospitals faced significant workforce shortages. This study provides actionable insights for hospital leaders and policymakers in designing operational redeployment protocols and supportive environments that sustain nurse wellbeing and performance under crisis conditions.