Dr. Alessandro STIEVANO
Research Coordinator, Centre of Excellence for Nursing Scholarship (OPI – Italy)
Visiting Professor, Boston College, USA

Dr. Stievano is the research coordinator of the Centre of Excellence for Nursing Scholarship of OPI Rome – Italy (the Regulatory Authority for the Nursing Professions in Italy).

Dr. Stievano is also Professor at the University “Our Lady of Good Counsel” Tirane – Albania and at Tor Vergata University – Rome – Italy. The Centre of Excellence for Nursing Scholarship in Italy that he coordinates is a novel project that represents a unique venture for Italy, and one of the first to be set up in Europe, in line with the positive experiences matured in this direction in advanced countries. The Centre has funded more 250 research projects since its inception in 2010. He is an expert of learning processes and social issues and, in this logic, has received a Master’s Degree in Education and another one in Sociology for Health and Policy. He is author of many publications on a national and international level, particularly on ethics and transcultural matters. His main interests are linked to professional and policy issues in nursing and health professions. He has got appointments at several Italian universities and at universities at global level including Boston College.

Abstract

Nurses make a Difference in Fighting the Battle of COVID-19. Perspectives from a European Country: Italy

As a backdrop of a continuously changing situation in many countries worldwide, the impact of the COVID-19 crisis in Italy has witnessed different development stages, and the nursing profession has been deeply involved in all these changing scenarios.

The first part of my presentation displays a brief demographic and economic profile of the country also compared with other European nations. The second part analyses Italy's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on healthcare professionals' actions, especially by nurses. The last section discusses the impact of the crisis and lessons learned by the health authorities and the nursing profession during its management. The discussion will focus on enhancing health professionals' national and community capacity and, above all, coping with the COVID-19 pandemic risks. The pandemic has highlighted the significant shortage of nurses suffered by Italy compared to the Countries present in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, an intergovernmental economic organisation that gathers 37 advanced countries. It is peculiar that while nurses are praised for their considerable efforts to combat the pandemic, some important stakeholders do not take appropriate measures to align the number of these professionals according to safe ratios to guarantee quality standards of care and better patient safety.

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