[Canary in the Coal Mine: Reflections on the Current Global Wave of Nursing Strikes].

A worldwide wave of nurse strikes has erupted. Labor strikes represent a last resort measure and are a powerful means for nurses to fight back against adverse working conditions such as heavy workloads, unfair pay, and unsafe staffing conditions that not only affect patient care outcomes but also economic growth and social political stability. Despite the pandemic placing most nurses under extremely stressful conditions for an extended period of time, nurses remained on duty to cope with the changing circumstances while continuing to provide high-quality care. Overwhelmed nurses worldwide are the "canary in the coal mine", with the current strikes sounding the alarm about the urgent need to increase investments in our fragile health system. In this article, the concept underlying labor strikes is outlined, the potential impacts of strike actions are presented, the status quo of nursing practice in Taiwan is discussed, and the readiness of nursing professional organizations for industrial action is considered. We call on the government to invest further in healthcare to both stimulate economic growth and give more respect, value, protect and identity to nurses through fairer pay and better working conditions.

[From Invisible to Visible - Validating Media Presence: Forging a New Image of Nursing in the Post-Pandemic Era].

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the exposure and attention given to nurses in the global media. Although media outlets have repeatedly praised them as "heroes" or "angels", nurses continue to be regular targets of stigmatization during infectious outbreaks. The lack of a strong public image may be an important reason behind why the general public has yet to adequately understand and acknowledge the nursing profession. Therefore, new branding is needed to improve the public image of nursing in the post-pandemic era. In this article, common stereotypes regarding nurses are reviewed, the heroic narrative is introduced, and suggestions regarding how to leverage social media to improve the image of nursing are provided. To give nurses a more respected voice, make the invisible visible, and validate a stronger media presence in line with International Council of Nurses tenets, nurses should be united together under a shared professional image to be a positive force for global health.

[Beware of Wolves in Sheep`s Clothing: A Brief Introduction to Open Access and Predatory Journals].

The advance of information technology has led to the significant diversification of scholarly publishing. Over the past decade, the popularity of open access in scholarly publishing has led to an unintended rise in the number of predatory journals and the growth in predatory open access (POA) publishing practices. The main goal of POA publishing is to profit from article processing charges, and thus little or no attention is given to proper peer review or to editorial / publishing standards. Most articles published in predatory journals are tainted by examples of academic ethics violations such as falsification, deception, and fraud. Moreover, the risk of citation contamination is high, as articles published in POA publications may be cited and referenced in the legitimate scientific literature, with consequences including confounding subsequent research, negatively influencing public policies, and hindering social progress and public health. However, most nurses in Taiwan remain unfamiliar with this issue. This article provides a brief review of the open access movement and insights regarding how to assess the credentials of journals and publishers before submitting manuscripts to avoid predatory journals, promote academic integrity, and contribute to the sustainable development of the nursing profession.

[Frequently Asked Questions About the Seventh Edition APA Citation].

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association is an academic writing format reference manual commonly used in the field of social sciences. The current, seventh edition of this manual was published in October 2019. The two main issues spotlighted in this edition are the increasingly common citation of online material and the use of inclusive and bias-free language in academic writing. APA (American Psychological Association) style guidelines are widely used in nursing academia, in papers written for N3 and N4 nursing clinical ladder qualification, and in papers submitted to nursing journals. The lengthy and detailed content of the APA publication manual frequently overwhelms and confuses clinical nurses and students, and Taiwan Nursing Association members regularly submit APA-style-related questions to the Association. Thus, this article was written to address the origin and evolution of APA formatting guidelines and their importance in academic writing, highlight the major changes in the seventh edition, answer common questions about the APA citation format, and share APA online resources. It is hoped that the information in this article assists readers to improve the quality of their academic writing.

[Nurses: A Voice to Lead, Nursing the World to Health-Viewing COVID-19 Epidemic Prevention Efforts in Light of Nightingale's Perspective on Infection Control].

Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), extolled as the founder of modern nursing, contributed greatly to the advancement of modern public health. Written 150 years ago, Nightingale's advice on infection control, addressing the importance of hand washing, environmental sanitation, ventilation, sunshine, statistical data, and health literacy, remains highly relevant in today's global fight against the coronavirus. In honor of Florence Nightingale's 200th birthday, World Health Organization declared 2020 the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife. The era of "Nurses: A Voice to Lead - Nursing the World to Health" is drawing near. This article addresses the profound impact of Nightingale's infection control and public health perspectives on measures currently being taken to contain coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Furthermore, we call on governments throughout the world to invest proactively in nursing to assure the safety of patients and promote public health in order to achieve the pledge of the United Nations' sustainable development goals to leave no one behind.

[The Key Role of Taiwanese Nurses in Combating COVID-19 Pandemic].

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage worldwide, Taiwan has achieved outstanding performance in controlling the spread of the outbreak domestically, earning global appreciation. Nurses on the frontlines deserve much of the credit for the ongoing success in fighting against this outbreak in Taiwan. Taiwan's success to date is grounded in proactive preparedness and deployment by the government and effective teamwork among government agencies, medical institutions, enterprises, and the public. Comprehensive containment strategies and preparedness have allowed nurses to effectively perform their duties and combat the pandemic. Nurses safeguard the public's health a myriad of ways, including implementing quarantine measures at air and seaports, conducting fever screenings, delivering inpatient isolation treatments, performing case contact tracing, providing community care services, and operating special chartered-flight services. The Taiwan Nurses Association (TWNA) provides vital lead in this pandemic response, advocating for the safety, health and wellbeing of nurses; highlighting the contributions and value of nurses; and enhancing the professional image and status of nurses. Furthermore, through its global platform, TWNA shares with peer organizations worldwide the content and efficacy of actions taken by the national government, the contributions of healthcare workers, and the support and encouragement received from the public in COVID-19 containment to demonstrate values of Taiwan and nursing.

[The Role of Nurses in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals].

The sustainable development goals (SDGs), announced by the United Nations in 2016, now help guide public policy in many nations around the world. The United Nations has appealed to all governments and citizens worldwide to align together, taking action in each of the SDG dimensions of people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership in order to eradicate extreme poverty, inequality, and injustice; to slow / stop climate change; and to ensure sustainable development for humanity and the earth. Nursing is critical to achieving SDG3 (Health and Welfare) and has a significant impact on each of the other 16 SDGs. However, many nurses are unfamiliar or inadequately acquainted with SDGs. Therefore, this article introduces the content of the SDGs and the role of nurses in achieving each. In addition, we encourage nurses to exert their professionalism and compassion in realizing the pledge of the SDGs -- No one is left behind.