A view from the eye of the storm: An analytic autoethnographic account of ventilator procurement during COVID-19 first wave

An unprecedented spike in the demand for ventilators during the first wave of the COVID-19 caused significant disruption to the global supply and demand chain of medical devices. The characteristics of the disruption forced the Irish national health service to deviate from an established purchasing process as it pursued its objective of securing the delivery of ventilators for its ICUs. Utilising analytical autoethnography, this study presents a narrative account of the lead author's experiences (as a clinical procurement director) during the first wave of the COVID-19 crisis, with the objective of analysing the improvised resilient response of the medical device procurement function of the national health service. Incorporating process analysis to shape the narrative, four process deviations are identified and analysed using organisational mindfulness. The study provides a rich insight for practitioners and researchers into the realities of crisis response, with specific contributions to the field of resilience implementation through organisational mindfulness.