Pandemic highlights important role of nurses

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Since the days of Florence Nightingale during the Crimean War and Clara Barton during the Civil War, nurses have been an integral part of the care and treatment of the sick and wounded. The COVID-19 pandemic has shed a spotlight on nurses and reinforced the essential role they have in hospitals and clinics worldwide. Caralise Hunt, an associate professor and associate dean for academic affairs in Auburn’s School of Nursing, discusses the spotlight and what Auburn is doing to prepare young people for the future of health care.

How have nurses become heroes in this crisis?

Nurses are at the bedside with patients around the clock. They are prepared to assess patients’ conditions and make decisions about the type of care they need. Nurses implement the infectious disease prevention measures that control the spread of the virus. They spend a lot of time with patients, caring for them, listening to them, getting to know them. This is a scary time for patients; there are many unknowns related to coronavirus. Additionally, hospitals are limiting or prohibiting visitors so patients are in the hospital alone. Nurses are there for patients to advocate for them and provide the support they need and would normally get from their significant others. 

When everyone else is trying to run away from danger, nurses walk toward it. They are making sacrifices to care for patients including staying in hotels so they don’t have to worry about taking the virus home to their family. They are placing themselves at risk for the good of their patients. 

How will they continue to be looked to for help in the months/years to come?

As we move toward recovery from COVID-19, nurses will be providing health promotion/illness prevention education in our communities. They will dispel myths and provide evidence-based information about how to care for themselves and others during this pandemic.

How is Auburn preparing its nursing graduates to be ready to enter such a trying workforce?

We begin preparing our nursing students for the challenging health care environment from the moment they begin the nursing program. They are taught the foundational critical thinking and clinical judgment skills and we continue to develop those over the five semester baccalaureate program. We provide them with multiple interprofessional education experiences so they are prepared to work alongside other health care professionals to provide holistic, patient-centered care. 

As Auburn’s School of Nursing transitioned to remote learning during the spring semester, faculty and staff prepared online simulation experiences for our students. These simulations were conducted using Zoom sessions with small student groups. They provided students the opportunity to think through next steps in care of a patient and make decisions about what should be done. We also incorporated several online resources, such as a personal protective equipment simulation. 

Auburn University is a nationally ranked land grant institution recognized for its commitment to world-class scholarship, interdisciplinary research with an elite, top-tier Carnegie R1 classification, life-changing outreach with Carnegie’s Community Engagement designation and an undergraduate education experience second to none. Auburn is home to more than 30,000 students, and its faculty and research partners collaborate to develop and deliver meaningful scholarship, science and technology-based advancements that meet pressing regional, national and global needs. Auburn’s commitment to active student engagement, professional success and public/private partnership drives a growing reputation for outreach and extension that delivers broad economic, health and societal impact.