Global nursing leadership: alive and kicking in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues its journey around the world, it has triggered a global nursing response, with nurses everywhere working to save the lives of their extremely sick patients. In parallel with the frontline response, the International Council of Nurses, the World Health Authority and the International Confederation of Midwives have used their biennial Triad meetings to set out what needs to be done from a global perspective to protect nurses and the people they serve. At a time of crisis, it is imperative that the world’s nursing leaders, through ICN’s National Nursing Associations, step up to give support and guidance at this historically unsettling time.     

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): strengthening our resolve to achieve universal palliative care

In this paper, we strongly advocate for universal palliative care access during the COVID-19 pandemic. The delivery of universal palliative care services has been called for by leading global health organizations and experts. Nurses are critical to realizing this goal. COVID-19 diagnoses and fatalities continue to rise, underscoring the importance of palliative care, particularly in the context of scant resources. To inform the writing of this paper, we undertook a review of the COVID-19 and palliative care literature and drew on our experiences. It is very clear that investment in nurses is needed to ensure appropriate palliative care services now and into the future. Avoiding futile interventions and alleviating suffering is an ethical imperative for nurses regardless of the setting. Multi-level practices and policies to foster the delivery of safe, high-quality palliative care for all are urgently needed.     

Rediscovering a history of nursing management: From Nightingale to the modern matron

Objectives

This paper presents an examination of distinct periods in the development of nursing in order to rediscover a history of nursing management in England. The overall purpose is to demonstrate that uncritical accounts written in the past have not adequately explained the complex factors that have shaped nursing management in England. It is also suggested that the approach taken may be usefully applied to other national contexts.

Design

This is a review article which first establishes the value of historical perspectives in increasing understanding of nursing and then goes on to analyse the professional, social and political forces that contributed to the development of nursing management.

Data sources

A range of historical and contemporary sources is accessed to support the review.

Review methods

The review is informed by an historical approach which also seeks recourse to current literature to develop a critical narrative analysis which has an international dimension.

Conclusions

The history of nursing management has been ‘lost’ in celebratory and uncritical accounts of nursing as a whole. The important influence of key figures other than Nightingale has been overlooked and it emerges that nursing management has a longer and more complex history than is generally accepted.     

Roles of nurses and National Nurses Associations in combating COVID-19: Taiwan experience

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to expand worldwide, Taiwan has effectively contained the spread domestically and protected its citizens after registering its first case relatively early on 21 January 2020. Proactive preparedness and deployment by the national government, timely evidence and experience-based judgements and decision-making, information transparency, rapid response, and effective communication and measures have all been critical to combating COVID-19 in Taiwan. Nurses play a pivotal role in providing direct health care as well as providing contact tracing and care for the quarantined clients and community care services. The Taiwan Nurses Association and other nurses’ associations serve a vital leadership role in advocating for nurses, raising public awareness, enhancing nursing’s professional profile, and sharing experiences via national and international platforms. The implications for nursing and health policy are that we need to well prepare for any unpredicted emerging pandemic in the future. Providing adequate personal protective equipment and safe staffing should be the highest priority for the governments and policymakers around the world to combat pandemic successfully.     

护理人力资源配置方法的研究现状

2008年5月12日国务院颁布的《护士条例》(以下简称《条例》)开始正式实施,标志着我国护士执业有了法律保障,护理管理也进一步纳入法制化轨道。如何落实《条例》中规定的护理人力资源的配置标准     

河南省护理人力资源现状分析及配置公平性研究

目的对河南省2017年护理人力资源的配置现状及公平性进行分析,为优化河南省护理人力资源配置提供依据。方法利用《河南统计年鉴》和《中国卫生健康统计年鉴》数据,描述性分析2013年—2017年河南省注册护士现状,并利用洛伦兹曲线及基尼系数对河南省护理人力资源配置公平性进行研究。结果 2013年—2017年河南省注册护士数有明显增长,但每千人口注册护士数、医护比、床护比均低于全国平均水平,注册护士配置总体数量不足。护理人力资源配置公平性方面,按人口及地域面积配置的基尼系数分别为0.18和0.36,按人口配置优于按地域面积配置。此外,护理人力资源在城乡、不同机构间配置失衡。结论河南省护理人力资源配置有明显改善,但注册护士总量仍显不足。医疗卫生主管部门应进一步优化河南省护理人力资源配置,平衡护理人力资源在城乡、不同机构间的配置。     

Women and the global tobacco epidemic: nurses call to action

BACKGROUND: Tobacco consumption is increasing among women across the globe at alarming rates. Without effective intervention, the smoking prevalence among women will nearly triple over the next generation. These trends are potentially more threatening when considering how tobacco intersects women's lives, regardless if they use tobacco products or not. AIM: A review and analysis of the literature is conducted to examine the scope of tobacco's global effect on the multiple dimensions of women's health. METHOD: Medline (1990-2003), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (1990-2003) and World Health Organization databases were searched for related topics. Keywords for searches included global health, tobacco, women and nursing. FINDINGS: The epidemiology and prevalence of tobacco use among women are presented and its impact on women globally. Using an ecological perspective, the consequences of tobacco are analysed within the contexts of health, social, environment, economic and policy as it relates to women, their families and their communities. IMPLICATIONS: Nurses are in prime positions to empower individuals, families, communities and nations in the prevention and treatment of tobacco use. Health for all women continues to be a call for equity and social justice. Recommendations are provided for nursing practice, education, theory, research and policy to address this global health concern.     

Nursing informatics: yesterday, today and tomorrow

Today, at the beginning of the 21st century, nursing informatics has become a part of our professional activities. Informatics has advanced the field of nursing by bridging the gap from nursing as an art to nursing as a science. This article discusses the major milestones that have influenced the growth of computer technology and the specific efforts that have influenced yesterday's creation of the nursing informatics movement. It also provides an overview of nursing informatics in today's health care industry, while highlighting the administrative, management, research and educational applications and initiatives. In addition, it provides an overview of Saba's Home Health Care Classification, a nursing language system that has influenced the field. Finally, it provides a prediction of how computer technology will impact the nursing profession in the 21st century.     

Government chief nursing officers: a study of the key issues they face and the knowledge and skills required by their roles

The first Government Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) position was created in New Zealand over a century ago. Over the ensuing decades, the roles of these national nurse leaders have evolved and become a focal point for global nursing and midwifery development. Despite the important actual and potential roles of CNOs, very little work has been done to systematically study the key issues that they face and the skill sets needed to address them. Now, in the face of global cost-driven health reform, the position of CNO is even more important than ever. This paper describes the only global systematic study of CNOs conducted since the beginning of health reform and lays a substantive foundation for the development of these key leaders and their positions. In addition, the research reported provides important groundwork for future studies and enhancement of the global literature relating to national nursing and midwifery leadership.     

The lady with the lamp: Amid the COVID-19 haze

The COVID-19 pandemic is currently the dominant public health topic across every nation. The world of health care is shrouded in the haze of the COVID-19 pandemic and is experiencing unprecedented patient loads arising from this complicated and unfamiliar viral disease. No one was prepared for this. Unsurprisingly, there are shortages of supplies and equipment, treatment space and people with the skills to respond to the containment, treatment and prevention of COVID-19. Nurses are at the front line of every nation’s response, trying to provide assessment, protection, treatment and prevention as being part of the overwhelming care demand that is occurring. Across every nation, the ongoing policy implications of the pandemic should be considered, as well as for those pandemics in the future. This includes, but is not limited to, investing in emergency systems and nurses, health research, and preparing for, managing and researching nursing practice.     

Nursing in the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: protecting,saving, supporting and honouring nurses

As the world tackles the largest public health event in more than a century, the COVID-19 pandemic, the true value of nursing is being seen by politicians and the public. But while nurses are being praised for the vital work they do, many are being put into high-risk situations, and some have died, because of a shortage of appropriate, high-quality personal protective equipment. The International Council of Nurses has called for governments to make the provision of such equipment their number one priority to prevent further loss of life among the nurses caring for the world’s most vulnerable patients.