Supporting the emergent nursing workforce in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 has had a swift and significant impact on nurses and nursing students across the globe due to both the extensive and rapid added demands on the nursing workforce, and the actions taken to flatten the curve (Fowler & Wholeben 2020). In order to attempt to contain the pandemic, imposed quarantine was used as a strategy in many countries. Imposed quarantine is an unfamiliar experience that can lead to isolation from friends and family and separation from usual activities (Usher et al. 2020). Isolation and separation from usual contacts and activities can cause people to feel unsafe and anxious and threaten an individual's sense of connectedness