The Role of Nurses in the Covid-19 pandemic: A health policy approach in a dead-end

This study aimed to assess the role of nurses in the Covid-19 pandemic and the way a nurse can help the health system in this regard.  

This is a qualitative research using content analysis in 2020. The aim of this study was to elucidate the key role of nurses in the COVID-19 epidemic and the determinants of a professional nurse during an epidemic/pandemic crisis using virtual expert panels consisting of experts in the field of nursing, health care management, and psychology. Data were analyzed using the thematic analysis approach.

The findings show that nurses in the coronavirus pandemic can have 4 main duties such as professional, spiritual and mental, health economics, and social roles. According to the present framework, the health economics, social and mental and spiritual roles together can determine and affect the nurses’ professional role. These professional nurses can be able to provide necessary cares during COVID-19 pandemic.     

In the crises like COVID-19 pandemic in which medical sciences alone cannot treat or alleviate the condition, as seen worldwide, among professional, spiritual and mental, health economics, and social roles, the spiritual and mental role may be the most important part a nurse can play.