Last year, COVID-19 captured the attention of the world with rising infections and death rates globally. COVID-19 pandemic forced the world to change. On the other side, it placed the healthcare sector in the center of debate for tackling the pandemic and developing the cure quickly and effectively. As the number of infections rose quickly, the healthcare sector was overwhelmed with shortages of protective equipment, critical units, and the workforce. However, the top professional’s group of nurses came forward to stem the tide of the infections. It also gave them more diverse opportunities to grow and achieve long-term career goals.
The nurse leaders are the front-liners that are playing a major role during the pandemic. The major responsibilities of the nurse leaders involve leading the team of nurses to enhance the quality of care and patient outcomes. They discuss and collaborate for day-to-day operations with the team members to record the patient data.
Meanwhile, the ongoing COVID-19 is expanding the responsibilities with new roles and objectives. During these times of crisis, role expansion is the only way to fill the shortages with the workforce and increase the quality of care for the patients. For that, professionals are advising the nursing experts to acquire new skills by earning professional education. Many individuals never like the idea of continuing education alongside a full-time job. However, online programs solve this problem by allowing anyone to continue education without going to the university. Aspirants can opt for online nursing degrees to expand their skill sets while catering to full-time job and education priorities. This way, nurses can expand their roles as leaders and help their staff and patients in the crisis.
Let’s discuss the important role of nurse leaders during the COVID-19 that needs special attention.
- Enhancing Patient Care
With the maximum nursing workforce working on the front lines, they contribute efforts to enhance patient care. They directly interact with the patients to know their condition. Meanwhile, the ongoing pandemic is enforcing the quality of care even further. Nursing leaders apply their experience and utilize evidence-based practice to provide necessary care to patients in quarantine and ICU.
The nurse leaders also employ the data and tools to adapt to the situation and improve patient outcomes quickly. Moreover, they also carry out prevention strategies to prevent infections within the hospital settings by ensuring social distancing practices and preventive equipment. Now with the vaccination drives rolling out globally, nursing leaders are encouraging team members for vaccination.
- Communication
Another prominent role of the nursing leaders during the pandemic is the communication for both workforce and the patient. As a healthcare leader, communication is an integral part of the practice. The nursing leaders must communicate effectively to deliver viable information to achieve optimal patient outcomes. They also collaborate with the team during the crisis to mitigate the stress and disruptions of services. Effective communication with motivation and guidance is essential to boost productivity. Most front-line experts face challenges for stress and isolation from their families. Nurse leaders must ensure communication to relieve their stress and inspire them to make a difference in society.
Not just the inside hospitals, but this communication is also relayed outside the organization. The latest information from nursing leaders helps debunk the myths and allows the authorities to make the necessary decisions. These professionals develop these exceptional skills with a professional degree and years of experience. When patient interaction increases, this role is becoming more important to inform society about the pandemic trends and actions.
- Connecting and Collaborating with Outside Organizations
As said earlier, the healthcare sector is experiencing a major transformation during the pandemic. The outside organizational collaboration is one of this transformation that is another step ahead for improving healthcare. Meanwhile, the ongoing pandemic is revealing how prepared the whole world was for COVID-19. In this case, governmental and healthcare authorities may collaborate with nursing professionals with the healthcare practices and actions for the future. The nurse leaders are also addressing social issues like uncertainty, lack of healthcare access, and the global population around the globe. This collaboration will help recover from the massive downfall of healthcare during pandemics and recover with enhancement in quality of care. Nurse leaders are also joining the webinars and online conferences to share their experiences with other authorities.
Final Words
Nurse leaders play a pivotal role in the healthcare sector to improve the quality of care and ensure employee well-being. They utilize the skills and evidence-based practice to enhance medical care without increasing the burden on the existing workforce. It is unsure when the looming crisis will vanish, and the world will recover to normalcy. But one thing is sure: nurse leaders are never-tiring professionals and continue to expand their roles to fill the significant voids in the sector.
