Contribution of Nurses During the Pandemic

Nurses serve humanity in a way that few other noble professions can match. They are the unsung heroes who often work tirelessly to provide care and comfort to patients, critical and the not-so critical. Nurses have always been an essential part of the healthcare system, but their role during the peak of the pandemic was worthy of nothing short of profound praise and acknowledgement.

Despite working long hours and in less than perfect work conditions, nurses provide patients with the right care every time without fail. The countless sacrifices made are unaccounted for and deserve the highest of our praise. 

COVID Disruptions:

The Covid pandemic has upended life as we knew it. Hospitals are overwhelmed with patients, schools have shuttered, and social gatherings have been canceled. The world has been in turmoil ever since, and the situation seems less likely to improve in the near future. 

Amidst all the turmoil, nurses have remained steadfast in their dedication to their duties. Since the beginning, nurses have been on the front lines of the fight against the pandemic, providing critical care to patients and keeping hospitals running. 

They’ve worked tirelessly in order to look after patients and keeping everyone else safe, and putting their health and lives on the line in the process.

Demand for nurses during health crises is bound to rise. Staff shortages is an all-too rampant issue in healthcare. If you have been aspiring to become a part of this noble profession then you need to first get yourself registered as a nurse. 

And what better way to get registered than acquiring a degree, like RN to BSN Degree, which will make you qualified enough to apply for roles where you can make an impact in people’s lives. 

Nurses – Roles & Responsibilities During the Pandemic:

Nurses played an essential role and duty throughout the COVID-19 epidemic, that of providing critical and preventive care. They will continue to be on the front lines of the fight against diseases in hospitals and actively participate in evaluation and infection eradicating activities for the community.

High-Quality Care:

Nurses are responsible for ensuring that all patients get tailored, high-quality treatments. They’re also involved in planning for fighting COVID-19, which advocates, first and foremost, an increase in staffing levels to free up hospital resources, so that quality care could be ensured. 

Take Part in Public Awareness:

Nurses played a crucial role in public education and awareness drives. They’re the ones providing information to patients, their families, and even the scientific community about the forms, types, and complications of the virus. 

Participating in Clinical Management:

The clinic provides you with individualized plans for care, clinical assessments, medical interventions, and medicinal administrations, all of which are taken care of and managed by nurses. 

Working Overtime:

Nurses had long sleepless nights when the pandemic first came around, but their nature of work is such that working overtime is not a rare occurrence for them. COVID-19 has just jacked up the demand, hence, they are forced to work extra hard and many hours in overtime in order to keep up with the pace of demand for care. 

Observing the Safety Protocols:

During the pandemic, it took great courage to treat the infected. But in order to make sure that the patients were not infecting other people, or the entire hospital, or that the nurses weren’t getting infected themselves, they had to lay down some rules that ensured that the spread was being contained. 

Providing Care to the Most Vulnerable:

Nurses provide care to the vulnerable populations that might be at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19. The list of the most vulnerable population includes homeless people, seniors, and patients with chronic health conditions.

Risks Faced by Nurses:

Nurses are constantly at risk of getting infected when they’re caring for patients. Not only this, the long work hours put in by the nurses makes them susceptible to fatigue and other health risks. Despite all these challenges, nurses have continued to serve at-risk populations selflessly and diligently. There are countless instances of dedication and heroism displayed by nurses during this pandemic. 

Nurses Need to Protect Themselves Too:

One of the essential components of the prevention of the COVID-19 infection is observing good hygiene. Nurses must follow strict sanitary routines and procedures to prevent the spreading of germs.

Minimize face-to-face contact with patients as much as possible. When it comes to avoiding risks, one of the most basic precautions you can take is use personal protective equipment, PPE, while treating COVID positive cases and following a hand-washing regimen religiously.

In order to protect their loved ones, nurses should immediately change out of their work clothes and shower before they can have any interaction with their families. If you are a nurse who tends to COVID patients in critical care, you should self-isolate inside the house to protect your family. 

Frequent breaks from work and meditation can help in relieving emotional stress. Nurses must give themselves time to recover from mentally and emotionally-draining shifts at work.

Making the Nurses’ Lives Easier:

In the early days of the pandemic, nurses worked long hours and even had to face shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other septic supplies. They were also dealing with worried patients and families. In some cases, hospitals were overwhelmed and the nurses had their hands full with patients in need of critical care.

Following the health guidelines given by governments and organizations busy fighting the pandemic is absolutely fundamental to relieving some of that pressure placed on the healthcare system. Now that the situation has improved, and that there is a lot more of the supplies to go around for everyone, there’s little chance of contracting the virus, provided due care is observed. 

In replenishing the staff shortages that have only become acuter since the start of this pandemic, hospitals can ensure that quality care is provided and that the nurses are not overburdened with so much work that can only lead to their burnout. 

Conclusion:

The nurses are at the front lines in the fight against this pandemic, laying down countless sacrifices, and have managed to draw in praise and adoration from the whole global community. Their contribution has been and will be for the ages. In order to relieve their burden, we can make sure that we observe the proper COVID protocols, so that hospital resources can be freed up to serve the most vulnerable in our midst. Hospitals should make sure that they ramp up hiring, so that quality care could be provided to each individual patient without overburdening the existing staffs.