After the recent global pandemic, the world we live in is incredibly different from the world we once knew. To get back some semblance of our past normalcy, many are dedicating day and night after spending the whole pandemic on the front lines; indeed, our nurses are reshaping the post-pandemic world for good. These everyday heroes are working tirelessly to bring about survival and peace to those around them. They don’t just tend to their physical wounds but also provide emotional care and comfort as well. In a world that has significantly changed, one must make some changes of their own, and that is where our front-line workers come in. In helping us adjust to the post-pandemic world, nurses are contributing to society in many ways. Let’s take a look at some.
- Redefining Healthcare Education
By now, we all know nurses like to help others -it’s a part of their job description. But did you know that beyond the four walls of the hospital, our nurses are not only taking care of us but also educating us? Because of the experience they gained from working on the front lines of the pandemic, many are flipping their knowledge and skillsets around to become educators. They are now sharing their insights through journal articles, presentations at workshops and seminars, even through television shows. Today, nurses are being rightfully highlighted, and the importance of this profession is being valued even more after the pandemic. Therefore, it’s no wonder online programs like online RN to BSN are increasing in popularity as the number of people looking towards nursing as a steady and rewarding field increases. According to a report by The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, 80% of RNs held a BSN. Could the numbers be about to skyrocket as the scope spreads from applied medicine to academia and further? Time will tell.
- Necessary in Policy Making
In the past, nurses were mostly known for their commitment to the healthcare industry. But we now know that our nurses are not just taking care of us physically but also working up and down the ladder of power. After providing us with all that we need, nurses are now taking on positions of strong influence in most countries and local governments. This is because nurses have a wide knowledge base and understanding of living conditions and how to work with communities. This is something that can be put to critical use as our healthcare system is being reworked to serve more people who are suffering from chronic diseases and thus have higher needs than before.
- Required in Resource Management
During the pandemic, nurses worldwide faced the challenge of working inhumane hours without adequate supplies. A lack of resources and an unceasing onslaught of the sick have given our healthcare workers something that is not PTSD or just stress. It has given them important information about the situation concerning the provision of items such as PPE (personal protective equipment) and kinks in the procedures that provide these items. This gives nurses valuable insights that are given either directly or through their feedback to healthcare professionals and policymakers. This knowledge, when handled responsibly, has the potential to prevent the chaos of the pandemic from becoming a recurring event anytime such a situation rolls around.
- Position in Economic Development
It is no secret that our world is obsessed with development, but we now know that this obsession can also be treated as an illness. The global economic system was once considered a reliable one, but it has become increasingly prone to risks such as pandemic shocks and political volatility because of the pandemic. Because of all these factors and more, it’s clear how much our healthcare system relies on the economy and how much it depends on that economy. Companies will be forced to adapt if they want to continue making profits. The future of our hospitals and clinics will inevitably be in question. With this realization, nurses are now applying their skills to economics as well.
- Priceless In Research
There is no denying that the pandemic rocked our world and left a bunch of questions in its wake. As citizens, we are given a voice, but we are allowed to listen and then provide some answers as workers. This is where many nurses come in by conducting research on how the pandemic worked itself out and its aftermath. With invaluable data from front-line workers, research across all fields, from genetics to probability and statistics, is commencing with renewed vigor. Knowledge has never been harmful, so gaining more will only help us prepare for future occasions and possibly even have breakthroughs regarding stagnant issues.
- Population-based healthcare
Authors of “Nurse Expertise” report that with the rapid onset of the pandemic, nurses have had to change their model of care to one that focuses on population-based healthcare. They further argue that communities that focused on preventative measures and decentralized community health programs had a better response to the pandemic than traditional hospital-based care. The key part here is that nurses can play a centralized role in population-based healthcare as they can affect the direction of healthcare by way of advice and recommendations. Being at the heart of decisions, the role of nurses in these matters is enormous; even though their power is officially limited, they are still heavily influential in the communities that they work in. The impact they have on health care is significant as they help implement new programs and design appropriate ones. From experience, we all know that this will be a hard task to overcome when there’s so much to do.
When it comes to the post-pandemic world, nurses have a crucial role to play. Their involvement in healthcare has become more visible as they are now highlighted, applying their expertise to policymaking and economic development. Doing so can play a central role in the future of healthcare by working together with other professionals to build prevention strategies that will help lower the risks of another bout of pandemonium. We should appreciate how much this profession has grown and developed as it applies its expertise for the sake of progress.
