The Impact of Covid-19 on Nursing and Midwifery Practices in South Africa: A Commentary

Abstract

The health and wellbeing of nurses and midwives are essential to the quality of care they can provide for people and communities, affecting their compassion, professionalism and effectiveness. Ensuring that working conditions across all settings—in primary, secondary, mental health, community and social care—are supporting nurses and midwives in their work, is fundamental to ensuring the best outcomes for people who need health and care services. The coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19) has emerged as a serious health crisis of global proportion. This disease has created health emergencies, which had taken a toll on the wellbeing of many health workers. Particularly, the nursing and midwifery professions have faced numerous challenges causing ethical dilemmas in their practices and exacerbating their psychosocial wellness. In this commentary, we explore the impact of Covid-19 on the nursing and midwifery practices in South Africa.