Integrating Nursing into Health Security Frameworks: Implications for Public Health Preparedness and Response

This review explores the intersection between nursing, health security, and public health preparedness, emphasizing the critical role nurses play in strengthening health systems during crises. As the frontline providers of patient care and community engagement, nurses are central to detecting emerging health threats, implementing infection control, and facilitating communication between healthcare systems and populations. Recent global health emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic, have highlighted the importance of integrating nursing practices into broader health security frameworks to enhance resilience, reduce morbidity and mortality, and ensure equitable health outcomes. This article examines the role of nurses in surveillance, risk communication, emergency response, and recovery. It also evaluates the barriers to integrating nursing into health security planning, such as workforce shortages, insufficient training, and limited representation in policy-making. Strategies for empowering nurses through education, interprofessional collaboration, leadership development, and digital health innovations are discussed. The review concludes with recommendations for policymakers and health institutions to strengthen public health preparedness by recognizing nursing as an essential pillar in health security frameworks.