Social stigma towards nurses: Time to refocus on what matters most

I read the article "Social stigma towards nurses taking care of patients with COVID-19 in Indonesia: A mixed- methods study" by Manik et al. (2021) with great interest, but also with a sense of disappointment, sadness and anger, particularly in regard to the social stigma encountered by these nurses, which partially originates from their colleagues. While fear is understandable due to the sense of uncertainty brought about by the pandemic, being labelled a "plague spreader" and ostracised by their communities is uncalled for and cruel. This timely paper provides a first-hand narrative of the nurses' job and a critical analysis of the reality that nurses face in carrying out their professional responsibility to care for patients during a
pandemic crisis. We learned the implication of stigmatisation of COVID-19 patients and its effects on the
healthcare system, their families and healthcare professionals who come into close contact with people
affected by the virus. Numerous acts of violence, harassment and stigmatisation have been reported in association with the COVID-19 pandemic, with 67 per cent of these recorded cases of violence and harassment directed at healthcare professionals