Role of Anesthesia Nurses in the Treatment and Management of Patients With COVID-19

Abstract

As the backbone for the treatment of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), nurses have been playing key roles in cabin hospitals, isolation wards, and intensive care units for critical cases. Anesthesia nurses have their own professional specialties, such as airway management, the use and maintenance of life support equipment, including ventilators, and the use of high-flow oxygen equipment. With rich experience in emergency responses and nursing, anesthesia nurses, along with emergency nurses and critical care nurses, play important roles during the treatment of patients with COVID-19. In our hospital, 27 of 34 anesthesia nurses participated in the front-line fight against COVID-19 and did an excellent job. Anesthesia care by nurses is relatively new in China, and the role of anesthesia nurses during a disaster response has not been fully appreciated. Given their specialty, anesthesia nurses have played important roles in the treatment of patients with COVID-19. We hope that authorities will consider including anesthesia nurses in national disaster response medical rescue teams.

Keywords: anesthesia nurse; coronavirus disease 2019; medical rescue team.