key: cord-0970291-fm8q8a65 authors: Manookian, Arpi title: The significance of shared humanity during the COVID-19 pandemic date: 2020-12-23 journal: J Med Ethics Hist Med DOI: 10.18502/jmehm.v13i29.5046 sha: 1bf79f119e3e7d78dbf873ddcb643ee5af8f3fa2 doc_id: 970291 cord_uid: fm8q8a65 nan The COVID-19 pandemic is widely considered to be the most catastrophic crisis that has caused widespread suffering worldwide. A growing body of literature has shown that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought multifaceted health challenges and devastating effects on people's psychological, social and spiritual health. This crisis does not only affect the general population, but is also associated with increased mental and spiritual distress among medical staff including nurses (1) . We should all admit that nurses are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic and are therefore facing greater risks than they normally do in their routine practice. They spend more time in close contact with COVID-19 patients and sit by patients' bedsides instead of spending time with their own families or fulfilling their physical, psychological, and spiritual needs (2). Many concerns have arisen about nurses' emotional breakdown and also well-being. Nurses struggle with physical and psychological burdens and the burn-out resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, and most of them continue to be on the front line fighting COVID-19 and providing nursing care (1, 2) . Achieving this requires more than simple nursing interventions, but rather the application of "nursing presence" (3). Much work has been carried out on "nursing presence" (3, 4) and "caring capacity" (5) . Nursing presence is a critical concept in nursing practice that has been defined as a therapeutic interaction where both the nurse and the patient share common humanity through establishing a deep connection, attentiveness, and compassionate care (3, 4) . pandemic not just because they have to, but because they feel a sort of connection to them. The care process forms a bond between the nurse and the patient that opens a window of humanity for both (7) , and this shared humanity seems to be the key factor in overcoming the ethical challenges associated with the COVID-19 crisis. In this regard, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said, "None of us will be safe until everyone is safe" (8) . This is a manifestation of our shared humanity, as In this regard, in one of my previous studies, the results indicated that the concept of dignified care implies "enlightened practice" (9) . Thus, the current crisis of COVID-19 has brought us to realize the significance of humanistic interactions between patients and nurses, our interconnectedness, and also the fact that dignified care may be a new path to enlightenment. In conclusion, the COVID-19 crisis provides us with an opportunity for ethical reflections on the intrinsic values in our profession, our common needs and ends, and also our shared humanity. Furthermore, the current crisis may help us reach personal and professional growth and development by recognizing our interconnectedness, not only during these times, but for years to come. Using social and behavioral science to support COVID-19 pandemic response Learning from Florence Nightingale: a slow ethics approach to nursing during the pandemic Nursing presence: a theoretical overview Meta-synthesis of presence in nursing The ethics of need: agency, dignity and obligation Nursing's global covenant with humanity-unitary caring science as sacred activism The mirror of humanity: a hermeneutical perspective in nursing World Health Organization: A global pandemic requires a world effort to end it -none of us will be safe until everyone is safe Nikbakht Nasrabadi A. Patients' lived experiences regarding maintaining dignity