Letter to the Editor by Dana Abdel Jawad to “In Service to Others: APRNs as Serving Leaders During the COVID-19 Pandemic”

July 14, 2024

Response by Dana Abdel Jawad to “In Service to Others: APRNs as Serving Leaders During the COVID-19 Pandemic” by Andrew Benson, Jessica Peters, Colleen Kennedy, & Michelle Patch (December 17, 2021).

Dear Editor,

I am writing in response to the December 17, 2021, Volume 27, Number 1, article titled, “In Service to Others: APRNs as Serving Leaders During the COVID-19 Pandemic” (Benson et al., 2021). As an intensive care unit (ICU) staff nurse on the frontlines, this article helped me reflect on critical changes in the United States healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 is the fifth pandemic since 1918, but presented with unique and complex challenges (Liu et al., 2020). The authors echoed the fear and vulnerability of the pandemic on all of us working within healthcare. Our modern equipment, hospital systems, and innovative supplies were no match to fight COVID-19 infections alone. Hospital staff, including nurses, were vital components to save lives during the pandemic. Nurses had to be flexible, dynamic, and willing to try new things.

The authors did a great job highlighting key areas where nurses impacted patient care. Examples include providing educational tools, coordinating solutions to improve the supply and demand of personal protective equipment (PPE), influencing teamwork and collaboration, patient-centered care while working within an environment of growing complexity, and relaying imperative information. The article gave gratitude to dedicated advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who utilized their skills, autonomy, and leadership to impact patient care for the better (Benson et al., 2021). As a nurse working through the COVID-19 pandemic, I resonate with the COVID-19 challenges and realize there are many ways we can continue to impact and improve patient care, no matter what issues arise.

Sincerely,

Dana Abdel Jawad, MPH, BSN, RN