Presenter Information
Anh Nguyen Van Le
School of Nursing
Abstract
The 1918 Influenza and COVID- 19 pandemic have become two major public health crises that reshaped the role of nurses in the America healthcare system. Although a hundred years apart, both pandemics revealed how deeply the country depends on nurses during emergencies without proper and efficient strategies. This paper argues that these pandemics acted as turning points that redefined the social contract between nurses and the U.S. healthcare system. By examining historical context, nurses’ responsibilities, public perception, and long-term effects, this research show how pandemics expanded nurses’ authority while also exposing long-term weakness of the systems. In 1918, nurses were praised for their sacrifice and viewed mainly through a moral and gendered lens, limiting recognition for their professional skills. During COVID-19, there was a significant change in the nurses’ roles, nursing has become much more professional at that time. Nurses took on visible leadership roles in infection control, communication, and policy advocacy, yet were still framed as “heroes” rather than highly trained professionals. Both pandemics exposed similar structural problems, including understaffing, inadequate protection, and limited leadership representation. Understanding these realities is essential to preparing for future crisis. Nurses should be involved in decision-making positions, provided with advanced training, and fully protected in their workplaces. At the same time, the health care system must be strengthened, reformed to better support both nurses and patients during emergencies.
School
Gumberg Library; McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts; School of Nursing
Advisor
Andrew Simpsonndr
Submission Type
Paper
From Crisis to Reform: How the 1918 Influenza and COVID-19 Pandemics Redefined the Relationship between Nurses and the American Healthcare System.
The 1918 Influenza and COVID- 19 pandemic have become two major public health crises that reshaped the role of nurses in the America healthcare system. Although a hundred years apart, both pandemics revealed how deeply the country depends on nurses during emergencies without proper and efficient strategies. This paper argues that these pandemics acted as turning points that redefined the social contract between nurses and the U.S. healthcare system. By examining historical context, nurses’ responsibilities, public perception, and long-term effects, this research show how pandemics expanded nurses’ authority while also exposing long-term weakness of the systems. In 1918, nurses were praised for their sacrifice and viewed mainly through a moral and gendered lens, limiting recognition for their professional skills. During COVID-19, there was a significant change in the nurses’ roles, nursing has become much more professional at that time. Nurses took on visible leadership roles in infection control, communication, and policy advocacy, yet were still framed as “heroes” rather than highly trained professionals. Both pandemics exposed similar structural problems, including understaffing, inadequate protection, and limited leadership representation. Understanding these realities is essential to preparing for future crisis. Nurses should be involved in decision-making positions, provided with advanced training, and fully protected in their workplaces. At the same time, the health care system must be strengthened, reformed to better support both nurses and patients during emergencies.