The UK’s chief nursing officers (CNOs) have reflected on the lessons learnt from Covid-19 and the ‘lasting impact’ of the crisis on the profession – five years on from the pandemic being declared.
Speaking at a Royal College of Nursing (RCN) event to mark the fifth anniversary of the Covid-19 crisis at the weekend, the CNOs paid tribute to the ‘incredible efforts’ of the those among the nursing profession and to those who had died during the pandemic.
A lasting impact
Duncan Burton, CNO for England, said nurses ‘visibly’ and ‘flexibly’ led the response to Covid-19, using their professional expertise to support vaccine roll-out and scale up to each of the ‘issues and challenges’ they faced.
‘I remain so proud and so grateful to you all,’ he told attendees.
Mr Burton championed the ‘service, expertise and commitment’ of the nurses who died working during the pandemic.
‘My thoughts are with their loved ones and with everyone who has lost someone, as well as those who continue to be affected by the impact of Covid-19 and the pandemic,’ he said.
He recognised the ‘significant physical and psychological impact’ that the pandemic has had on the nursing workforce, stressing that this impact ‘is still being felt’, including by those suffering from long Covid.
‘It is so important that we acknowledge this lasting impact and take learning from the pandemic to continue to support colleagues,’ he added.
Mr Burton stressed the need to champion the value of nursing as a profession and to promote nursing as a career for future generations.
‘We know that the incredible efforts of colleagues during the pandemic inspired so many people to consider a career in nursing and midwifery, and we need to continue to demonstrate the rewarding and diverse opportunities that our profession offers,’ he added.
A time of extraordinary change
Gillian Knight, nursing officer for the Welsh Government, described how the Covid-19 pandemic had ‘tested’ the nursing profession in ways she ‘never, ever imagined, presenting unprecedented challenges and responsibilities’.
‘It was a time of extraordinary change, [with a] rapid need for adaptation and profound personal and professional growth in so many ways,’ she said.
‘The pandemic exposed the vulnerabilities in our healthcare system, but it also highlighted the strength, the dedication and the unwavering commitment of nurses.’
Ms Knight recalled the ‘strong sense of duty and privilege’ that was shared by nurses working in the pandemic, highlighting the major ‘resilience’ of nursing staff throughout this time.
She reflected on the lack of support available for nurses, particularly for nursing students who were deployed to work during the pandemic.
‘They [deployed student nurses] felt a need for personal resilience, but they also craved professional support and felt, in some cases, unable to ask because of the sheer busyness of where they were deployed and working,’ Ms Knight recalled.
Despite this, Ms Knight said a Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) survey into the experiences of deployed students during the pandemic revealed the ‘career consolidation’ felt by students, with many feeling their decision to pursue nursing was ‘reaffirmed’.
She flagged multidisciplinary working, workforce planning and digital development as areas seeing ‘positive acceleration’ since the pandemic.
‘We witnessed extraordinary teamwork. everyone pulled together with a shared purpose. Innovation in practice was essential, and nurses embraced this,’ said Ms Knight.
‘They adapted care delivery models and found new ways to connect with patients and families in isolation, and compassion in crisis remained at the heart of nursing,’ she said.
Rising to the challenge
Anne Armstrong, interim CNO for Scotland, highlighted the ‘competencies and compassion’ that nursing staff demonstrated throughout the pandemic, with nurses delivering ‘the best possible care’ while also experiencing significant personal losses.
‘Every single person rose to the challenge. We worked in new areas. We learned new skills and competencies,’ she said.
‘We flexed and we used new technologies such as digital, Near Me [remote appointments], which we hadn’t used to any great extent in the NHS before,’ she recalled.
Looking ahead, Ms Armstrong said that ‘we need to tackle our culture’ across the UK, to ensure compassion for patients and among nursing staff.
‘A huge piece of work for us now and in the future will be to have a culture of change, of showing compassion for each other, and showing care and compassion for our patients, so that we can all thrive and deliver our best work as we go forward,’ she added.
‘That should give us hope for a new change, a new dawn in nursing.’
Speaking at the event RCN general secretary and chief executive, professor Nicola Ranger, also warned nurses risked being seen as ‘dispensable’ and ‘expensive’ despite their major contribution to the pandemic response and recovery.
