ABSTRACT
COVID-19 pandemic in Berlin and Brandenburg - A hospital survey from nursing management perspective Abstract. Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is unclear how hospitals in the federal states of Berlin and Brandenburg are structured with regard to structural adaptions, personnel situations, protective equipment and trainings. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to evaluate and compare the current status of all hospitals in both states. Methods: In April 2020, an online survey of all hospitals in Berlin and Brandenburg (n = 99) was carried out. Structural capacities, the personnel situation, protective equipment and training were investigated. Results: The hospitals (response rate: 31.3 %) have made all structural changes except for n = 1 facility. The majority of the failure rate is critically stated as 5 - 10 % before (58.6 %) and during the pandemic (51.5 %). The proportion with > 10 % default rate increases from 20.7 % to 31.0 %. 45.2 % of hospitals report that they rarely have shortage in protective clothing. Nurses at peripheral wards are often trained in handling with respiratory patients. The duration is in median 2 - 8 hours. No significant differences between Berlin and Brandenburg were found. Conclusions: At the time of the survey, the hospitals in Berlin and Brandenburg were well prepared for the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2020, the results indicate that hospitals are well prepared to ensure the health care provision.