The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has praised nurses for their role in treating and controlling the spread of the Coronavirus.
ICN President Annette Kennedy wrote to the Chinese Nursing Association to convey her “admiration and solidarity to all the nurses in the region who are continuing to work in such difficult circumstances.”
“Providing nursing care to people with such a severe infection carries risks, and I hope your colleagues will stay safe and well while they carry out their duties so selflessly. Assisting individuals and families to deal with this situation is an essential and critically valuable service provided by nurses. I commend you all.”
ICN CEO Howard Catton also praised the pivotal role nurses are playing in health prevention and treatment of the Coronavirus in China and across the world. “Nurses in China, and other affected countries and regions, are at the frontline of detecting, managing and preventing the spread of this virus,” he said.
“They are working incredibly hard, with both courage and compassion, in extremely difficult and stressful circumstances. It is essential that we protect both their safety and that of the patients they are caring for. This means that they must be provided with the personal protective equipment to safely care for those with the virus and ensure that the virus is not spread further.”
The Australian College of Nursing would like to honour the important role of nurses in detecting, managing and preventing the spread of coronavirus. Nurses are a part of their local community, sharing its culture, strengths and vulnerabilities, and can shape and deliver effective interventions to meet the needs of patients, families and communities in times of need.
We encourage all nurses to view the Australian Government Department of Health’s Information for Health Professionals on the Coronavirus which is available on the Department’s website.
You can read the full ICN Press release here.
