When the World Stopped, We Kept Going: Lessons in Perseverance from a Nurse’s View
This powerful session offers a first-hand look at the emotional, ethical, and professional challenges nurses faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through personal stories and shared lessons, it explores how resilience, teamwork, and moral courage carried healthcare workers through one of the most difficult times in modern history and how those lessons still matter today.
Objectives
Attendees will be able to:
- Analyze factors that contributed to nurses’ perseverance and resilience in conditions of crisis
- Reflect on personal or observed experiences to identify lessons of perseverance
- Apply the principles of resilience to enhance coping in future experiences
- Discuss strategies for maintaining psychological well-being during times of uncertainty
Session Description
The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped the world in ways we could have never imagined. Everyday life was halted for much of society, except for those on the front lines. Nurses continued to show up, adapt, and care for others despite fear, exhaustion, and uncertainty. Reflecting on this period is vital to understand the resilience, adaptability, and emotional strength that defined the nursing profession. The lessons learned are not only relevant to healthcare but to education, leadership, and humanity itself.
This presentation will focus on the lived experience of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the emotional, ethical, and professional challenges faced and the perseverance that sustained them. Through shared experiences and personal reflection, it will explore themes of teamwork, resilience, professional identity, and moral distress. Together, showing how adversity reshaped nursing practice and personal strength.
Note: This event qualifies for Continuing Education credits (CEs).
