Getting the COVID-19 pandemic into perspective: a nursing imperative

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Nursing

Background:

• Nurses possess historical experience with infectious disease outbreaks and their devastating impact.
• Despite this experience, leaders often appear surprised by the speed and severity of pandemics like COVID-19.
• Nurses consistently face significant risks due to inadequate public policy and management during health crises.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the recurring challenges nurses face during pandemics.
• To critique the systemic failures in preparedness and response to infectious disease outbreaks.
• To advocate for the reformation of public health policies and health systems to better support nurses.

Main Methods:

• This is an opinion piece/commentary, not a research study.
• It draws upon historical observations and the direct experiences of nurses.
• Analysis of public health policy and systemic responses to pandemics.

Main Results:

• Nurses are not surprised by the devastation caused by infectious diseases.
• Inadequate policies and management lead to poorly resourced preparedness and increased risks for nurses.
• Data collection on health worker infections and deaths, particularly nurses, is often insufficient.
• Expressions of gratitude for nurses often fade, with a return to previous systemic weaknesses.

Conclusions:

• Nurses' historical experience is often overlooked by leadership during pandemics.
• Systemic failures in public health policy and management place nurses at undue risk.
• There is an urgent need for nurses to actively participate in reforming health systems and policies to ensure better preparedness and protection in future outbreaks.