For the Long Haul: The Pandemic’s Impact on Practice Orientations and Labor Relations for Registered Nurses

This talk explores how the COVID-19 pandemic has left enduring effects on registered nurses’ orientations toward their work and their relationships with employers. Drawing on interviews with nurses who remained in the profession, the presentation moves beyond the conventional discourse of burnout to examine how the pandemic altered fundamental aspects of nursing practice, career trajectories, and organizational relationships. Through an analysis of these shifts, the talk challenges traditional concepts of resilience and burnout, suggesting that nurses may be redefining what it means to deliver care in a post-pandemic world.