Nurses at the Front Line of COVID-19: Roles, Responsibilities, Risks, and Rights

• Published in: The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene Vol. 103; no. 4; pp. 1341 - 1342
• Main Authors: Fawaz, Mirna, Anshasi, Huda, Samaha, Ali
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Institute of Tropical Medicine 01-10-2020; The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
• Subjects: Attitude of Health Personnel; Betacoronavirus - pathogenicity; Coronavirus Infections - diagnosis; Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology; Coronavirus Infections - prevention & control; Coronavirus Infections - transmission; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Disinfection - methods; Disinfection - organization & administration; Humans; Infection Control - methods; Infection Control - organization & administration; Lebanon - epidemiology; Nurses; Nurses - organization & administration; Nurses - psychology; Occupational Exposure - legislation & jurisprudence; Occupational Exposure - prevention & control; Pandemics - prevention & control; Personal Protective Equipment - supply & distribution; Pneumonia, Viral - diagnosis; Pneumonia, Viral - epidemiology; Pneumonia, Viral - prevention & control; Pneumonia, Viral - transmission; Risk; SARS-CoV-2; Social Responsibility; Lebanon
• ISSN: 0002-9637; 1476-1645
• DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0650

Nurses have critical roles and responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. They will continue to be at the front line of patient care in hospitals and actively involved with evaluation and monitoring in the community. Nurses have to ensure that all patients acquire personalized, high-quality services irrespective of their infectious condition. They will also engage in planning for anticipated COVID-19-related outbreaks, which increase the demand for nursing and healthcare services that might overload systems. Nursing supervisors should offer knowledge on workplace security, in addition to instruction and guidance regarding infection prevention and control and how to properly don, doff, and discard personal protective equipment. In this regard, staff members should also be guided on how to carry out regular self-assessments, and directed on how to follow quarantine or isolation measures, when indicated, to protect them, their families, and their community, as well as to safeguard their mental health and well-being.