ABSTRACT
Objective: To analyze the planning and implementation process of a patient care service with COVID-19 in a university hospital, through the experience of daily management. Method: This is a systematic experience report on the care implementation and treatment flow process in a university hospital of people affected by COVID-19. The experience was recorded in a field diary, and the narratives were submitted to content analysis. Results: the analysis of the narratives lead to the organization of data in the following categories: need for professional safety, training, empathy and participatory management. Conclusion: It is important to use work processes and Continuing Health Education as tools for guiding care to COVID-19 patients. Clinical reasoning, interdisciplinary work and decision-making in a participatory manner allowed the proper care implementation, despite the team's fear of the challenges caused by the pandemic. © 2020, Online Brazilian Journal of Nursing. All Rights Reserved.