How Nurses Helped Tackle The Pandemic

Pandemic has impacted the lives of countless people around the globe. Some lost their loved ones; others had to go through the horror of finding beds, medicines, and other necessities for the closer ones. One of the entities who had an extra duty of helping and caring for others was a nurse.  They were among the most impacted in this pandemic because of fighting at the frontline.

The pandemic hit the world when it was already facing insufficient healthcare facilities for people around the globe. Around the globe, countries implemented disease control and prevention measures. However, all the measures proved insufficient as more infected people poured into the healthcare facilities. A considerable number of patients depressed the already fractured healthcare infrastructure globally. Even the most developed nations such as the USA and the UK could not deal with it without facing a healthcare emergency. Nurses also make the largest number among the total number of healthcare providers. Thus, they have a huge responsibility and place in the normal functioning of the healthcare system. Their role during the pandemic is worth commending at all levels. Here is a glimpse of how they helped tackle the pandemic.

• Helping Doctors In Their Job

One of the ways nurses helped during the pandemic was by taking up roles generally performed by doctors. This happened because nurses saw the need and enrolled in advanced online nursing programs designed to prepare them for greater roles in healthcare. Taking online classes also helped them fulfill their job and take their classes simultaneously. They helped the doctors diagnose patients, provide them critical treatment, and deal with the infected patient with utmost care. Thus, serving with the decontamination drives and effective communication with other healthcare experts.

One of the lessons drawn from the pandemic is that the hospital staff must have training in disaster preparedness and systems in place for disaster management. This is because medical staff, specially frontline workers such as nurses, inevitably work and care for those impacted by the disaster.

• Helped Satisfy Patients And Their Families

Patients coming to the hospital infected with Covid-19 often lose hope of living their life again. In the beginning, there was also a fear among the masses that those who were infected with the virus had no chance of living. Nurses had to deal with patients who were terrified of this disease and what could happen to them. Dealing with such patients who have already lost hope in recovery is more challenging. However, nurses stood firm during that time and helped with satisfying their patients and their families giving them positivity with their care. Nurses used all their knowledge and expertise to overcome all the hurdles brought to them due to the pandemic.

• Worked Regardless Of A Threat To Their Family

As nurses always treated people infected with the virus, they were at risk of being exposed to the virus. This was one of the concerns that could have led them to lose hope and retreat. However, contrary to that, they continued working with critically ill patients but always harnessed a fear of hurting their kids and families. Many nurses have reportedly lived separately from their husbands and kids to keep them safe.

• Fulfilled Their Job Regardless Of Shortage Of Essential Equipment

There is no misgiving that the world was not ready to deal with the pandemic of such an enormity. Essential equipment was scarce, such as PPEs, masks, face shields, gloves, and other protective gear for the nurses. They had to treat their patients infected with one of the deadliest diseases in the world without the necessary protection. Yet, nurses helped confront the pandemic most courageously while constantly living in the shadow of death.

• Helped Spread The Right Information

The pandemic came with a lot of confusion and myths about its transmission mode. People were forwarding wrong messages to their friends and families through WhatsApp groups, Facebook posts, and other social media platforms. These misconceptions made the job of healthcare workers more complicated as they had to quash these myths and misunderstandings before starting the treatment. Nurses had to work in such a conflicting environment, where patients won’t let the doctors treat them in many cases. An integral part of their service delivery was to eliminate the misunderstanding of the infected patients, convince them to follow the instructions, and spread awareness about disease prevention.

• Mitigating The Spread Of Disease And Infection

The only way to tackle this pandemic and reduce deaths is to decrease the spread of disease and infection. This could only happen by proper social distancing measures, cleanliness of the hospital and medical facilities. Nurses helped deal with the pandemic with their efforts to mitigate the spread of infection and diseases. Thus, they often took up the role of administrators working with the cleaning staff of their medical facility to disinfect the area, improve social distancing measures and separate infected from uninfected patients.

• Communicate Critical Information To The Doctors

With their assessment ability and critical thinking, they can sense even small changes in the condition of patients. Because of their experience, they can also understand the symptoms and possible issues they can lead to. Therefore, nurses worked as an essential connection between the patients and the doctors. They were with the infected patient for most of their time. Hence, they monitored the condition of the patients and timely communicated with the doctors.

Throughout history, the nursing profession has had a critical role in dealing with crisis and those hit by it. Nurses’ selfless service, knowledge of best treatments, ability to work under pressure have saved countless people throughout history. Their efforts to care for the ill date back to the days of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. Their role during the pandemic has been nothing less than a miracle. With the disaster hitting the world with such intensity, it was possible for the world to lose hope. However, nurses kept the healthcare system afloat with their heroic service regardless of the shortage of resources, fear of getting infected, and separation from their families.