COVID ‐19 experience in mainland China: Nursing lessons for the United States of America

AbstractCOVID ‐19 emerged in Wuhan, China, and began its worldwide journey. As the severity of the virus became known, the Chinese National Government mobilized resources, and their centralized management was critical to the containment of the epidemic. Healthcare agencies and providers were overwhelmed with pa tients, many of whom were critically ill and died. Nurses adapted to the work using personal protective equipment, but its initial scarcity contributed to stressful working conditions. Nurses in the United States can take several lessons from the experiences of their Chinese nurse colleagues, includ ing the benefit of centralized management of the epidemic, the need for specialized treatment facilities, and the importance of a national stockpile of critical equipment and supplies. A fully funded United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Pandemics and Emerging Threats is ne cessary. A nursing department within the office and a national mobilization plan to send nurses to support local efforts during a pandemic or other threat are likewise essential. Continuous training for nurses, especially caring for patients with infectious diseases in intensive care units, stress m anagement, and how to comfort the dying, are also useful lessons.

Source: Nursing Forum - February 4, 2021 Category: Nursing Authors: Robert L. Anders, Simon C. Lam Tags: CREATIVE CONTROVERSY Source Type: research