The angels and heroes of health care: Justified and appropriate, or harmful and destructive?

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to impact health care, particularly the health-care workforce. Arguably, the spotlight for the burden of the pandemic has been chiefly on nurses. This is most likely because of their highly visible clinical role. It may also be influenced by the historical connotations of servitude, self-sacrifice, and associations with the religious origins of nursing. Terms such as heroes and angels have been used to describe the efforts of nurses during the pandemic, both in mainstream media and in organizational recruitment campaigns. The impact of this narrative on nurses' professional role, identity, and working conditions is not yet known. However, critical care nurses appear to have rejected this narrative.