Novel Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) coronavirus has caused rapidly spreading disease (COVID-19) worldwide, accounting for an unprecedented increase in intensive care unit (ICU) admissions (Phua et al., 2020), and tens of thousands of deaths globally. The Surviving Sepsis Campaign COVID-19 panel released comprehensive clinical guidance for the management of affected patients in the ICU (Alhazzani et al., 2020); while new recommendations are formulated addressing specific contexts (Phua et al., 2020). Two important aspects of the SARS-CoV-2 infection have emerged since the beginning of the pandemic, which have significant implications for critical care nursing. First, apart from the lungs, SARS-CoV-2 can directly affect multiple organs and tissues, which may be a factor in the high mortality observed worldwide. Secondly, the extensive respiratory, neuromuscular, cognitive, and even psychiatric manifestations of COVID-19 call for early rehabilitation efforts, starting while patients are in the acute phase of hospitalization.