Nursing is a critical part of healthcare systems that can be overlooked and ignored by the leadership. However, after the fatal COVID-19 affected dozens of countries, it became clear how nursing is one of the most vital aspects of healthcare institutions. When the first COVID-19 pandemic case was reported in Wuhan, nobody knew that there was an impending global health crisis (Chen et al., 2020). Healthcare systems were unprepared for a deadly virus that could spread within short periods of time. As a result, registered nurses (RNs) needed to adjust to respond to COVID-19, which brought many nursing changes. COVID-19 is a historical occurrence that has dramatically influenced nursing evolution.
COVID-19 has affected healthcare unprecedentedly since nurses had to deal with a health crisis with no safety precautions. Caregivers provided support, screening services, and health education to the general public and high-risk individuals. Additionally, they provided care to COVID-19 patients in acute conditions. COVID-19 challenges caused little medical care progress as they accelerated changes in career expectations and attitudes.
For instance, most RNs who spent more time with COVID-19 inpatients found working in interprofessional collaboration satisfying. Caregivers recognize that medical care programs do not effectively meet the evolving healthcare system’s demands due to the pandemic. Moreover, RNs acknowledge the need for healthcare to focus on leadership, skill development, and innovation (Schutz & Shattell, 2020). COVID-19 accelerated support provision for some patient care aspects such as telehealth and health disparities among nurses.
COVID-19 has caused hostile variance analysis in health systems affecting primary care staffing. Nurse shortage is an issue that should be studied and can be caused by infection of the healthcare workforce. Therefore, COVID-19 has made the nursing profession comprehend the need for strategies to manage nursing employment (Chen et al., 2020). Furthermore, the pandemic has affected nurses’ well-being and mental health, a topic that should be studied in nursing research. The examination can determine how to manage long shifts, psychological trauma, and negative emotions.
In conclusion, COVID-19 occurrence led to the evolution of nursing. RNs performed different functions to mitigate the virus, including the provision of support, education, screening, and care to the public. The unprecedented pandemic led to a change in nurses’ anticipations and attitudes. The critical topics that should be studied in healthcare include staffing, well-being, and the mental health of RNs. The COVID-19 pandemic showed how important RNs are to medical care and accelerated some changes leading to medical care evolution.
References
Chen, S. C., Lai, Y. H., & Tsay, S. L. (2020). Nursing perspectives on the impacts of COVID-19. The Journal of Nursing Research, 28(3), e85. Web.
Schutz, V., & Shattell, M. (2020). Impact of COVID-19: What does it mean for nurses and health systems? Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 58(8), 2-3. Web.