ABSTRACT
It hardly needs to be said that 2020 was a difficult year for the world. COVID-19 has infected over 120 million people and killed over 2 million as of March 2021 (Johns Hopkins). At the same time, police violence against people of color continues, even as communities engage in long-overdue reckoning initiatives. Across the globe, researchers, governments, and communities needed quick, open, up-to-date information on testing for, treating, and preventing COVID-19. Our increased dependence on technology during lockdowns provided some with safety and continuity, while others experienced the widening of the digital divide. There is no greater urgency than the work of identifying and addressing issues of inequality and lack of equity and inclusivity. Although the results remain to be seen, the field of scholarly communications experienced disruption in 2020. The editorials below discuss these recent changes and imagine what could come out of the pandemic. We hope that these reflections invite conversation and action.
ABSTRACT
Historically, nurses have volunteered to serve in wars and natural catastrophes. However, instead of a distant disaster, many nurses in the UK volunteered, working above and beyond, to assist their colleagues, local communities and health systems in the NHS during the peaks of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the motivations and benefits to the community or self of volunteerism have been discussed in the literature, there is a paucity of literature and theoretical understanding from the field of nursing. Using a reflective and personal account of volunteering, this article aims to provide a better understanding of the concept of volunteerism in nursing. By exploring associated nursing theories from Jean Watson and Kristen Swanson, this article aims to illuminate and expand the knowledge base about nursing volunteerism. These nursing theories can frame the act of volunteerism and nursing and illustrate the interrelations of nursing theory and the practice of nursing volunteerism.