Testimony to Our Proud Nursing History: The International Year of the Nurse and Midwife

Abstract

Customarily, editorials begin the year with optimism and hopeful expectations for the year. This year, 2020 was no different with the editorial celebrating the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife and the 30th Anniversary of the Society of Pediatric Nurses (Betz, 2020Betz C.L. 2020:International year of the nurse and midwife and the 30th anniversary of the Society of Pediatric Nurses.Journal of Pediatric Nursing. 2020; 51: A8https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2020.02.003Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (1) Google Scholar). Although the world has been engulfed with the horrid vicissitudes of the COVID-19 Pandemic, this year unlike any other has demonstrated to the global community, the critical role of nurses in providing care to patients with COVID-19 and their families. Notably, this year has been an ongoing testament of honor and respect for our exceptional nursing colleagues, who without personal concern for their own health and welfare, have not hesitated to respond to call to provide care in these very precarious clinical circumstances. Without exception, the media coverage of nurses whether in print, online or televised has extolled the exceptional work of nurses as frontline workers during this Pandemic. One only has to “google” to locate more than 202 million results on nurses and COVID. The worldwide community has witnessed the dedication, clinical excellence, and compassion of our colleagues. In truth, it has been a year, unlike any other wherein the public worldwide were provided unvarnished views of what nurses do on a daily basis. Our nursing colleagues have responded unreservedly in other ways as well. The websites of the major pediatric nursing associations, namely the Society of Pediatric Nursing, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and National Association of School Nurses continue to provide the public and its membership with updated evidence-based information, clinical resources and recommendations on COVID-19. The resources address the specialized areas of clinical concern for children with special health care needs, vaccinations, and community immunity to name a few. The website link to these resources are listed below. Of interest, numerous manuscripts on COVID-19 related topics have been received by this Journal. The COVID-19 submissions include those pertaining to quality improvement projects, systematic reviews, evidence-based practice, and epidemiological and descriptive research. These manuscripts have been submitted by authors from all parts of the global community-across six continents. These submissions are representative of vigorous response of our nursing colleagues to investigate Pandemic phenomena and contribute to this growing body of literature to inform practice and improve the biopsychosocial outcomes of children with COVID-19 and their families. This international response to the Pandemic binds our nursing colleagues together in better understanding the full scope of the Pandemic worldwide. Our nursing history is rich with the formidable and revered leaders of the past who made remarkable contributions to improving care to those in most need. Florence Nightingale, considered the founder of contemporary nursing, led a team of nurses to care for the wounded during the Crimean War. Clara Barton, fearlessly cared for soldiers during the U.S. Civil War and later established the Red Cross. Dorothea Dix championed the need for services for those with mental illnesses. Lillian Wald, distressed by the treatment of poor immigrants in New York City, established community-based health services for this underserved population. Australian army nurse, Vivian Bullwinkel, a survivor of the Banka Island massacre during World War II, wherein 22 nurses and 60 Australian and British solders were killed and she was later held captive for over three years is considered a national nursing legend and hero. These women were courageous and heroic in responding to the critical needs of the sick and wounded and those who were underserved. Today, nurses who have worked tirelessly to care for the victims of the Pandemic deserve our deepest respect. These nameless legions of nurses will be remembered forever and will be added to that list of revered nursing leaders as the dedicated nurses who cared for those affected by this Pandemic. Erratum to “Testimony to Our Proud Nursing History: The International Year of the Nurse and Midwife” [Journal of Pediatric Nursing 55C (2020) A7–A8]Journal of Pediatric Nursing: Nursing Care of Children and FamiliesVol. 58PreviewThe publisher regrets that co-author Judith A. Vessey was omitted in the print version of the editorial. Her name and her affiliations are as follows: Full-Text PDF