A BALLARAT nurse fears a lot will be learned retrospectively from this pandemic about protecting frontline health workers when more could proactively happen now.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The nurse, who wished to remain anonyomous, said general nurses on general wards throughout Ballarat Health Services Base Hospital were offered no extra personal protective equipment against COVID-19. But general nurses could not do their job without lots of personal contact with patients for a disease that can incubate before showing symptoms.
For example, such close work included speaking up close to elderly people who were hard of hearing.
Doctors and nurses across the state have been calling for greater protection after a deadly outbreak in The Alfred's oncology ward last week.
READ MORE
The nurse said there was a comprehensive document for all hospital workers about PPE from Victoria's Health Department. While the nurse did not question BHS in strictly following this, the nurse said many colleagues in wards not deemed high risk were terrified about potential ramifications to their mental and physical health and that of their family's health.
Ballarat Health Services acute operations executive director Ben Kelly confirmed the hospital and other BHS sites were sticking to department recommendations. This included the guidelines for extra protective measures on general wards
Mr Kelly said systems had been changing quickly as measures to manage coronavirus evolved. He said in times of high stress, like this, there could be great confusion and this was why it was important BHS both stick to department measures and clearly, efficiently update staff on changes.
Health department guidelines on PPE were released late last week.
"There were initially inconsistencies between wards and departments with some areas being more cautious than others, which is why we've got to manage clearly by these recommendations," Mr Kelly said.
"We refer staff to the guidelines and engage them in knowing any changes. We keep advising them to be taking appropriate precautions - to stay at work and don't be ducking out for a quick coffee."
Australian Medical Association Tony Bartone told Fairfax Media healthcare workers overseas were "over-represented" in the figures for COVID-19 infections and deaths, such as in Italy where they made up 14 per cent of confirmed cases.
Dr Bartone said no-one should have to go to work without feeling they were best protected against a deadly disease.
RECENT CORONAVIRUS NEWS
In Australia, some nurses have called for their uniforms to be laundered by their health service, just as doctors' scrubs were, so they need not take them home to mix in with general washing. Or, wearing headscarves to cover long hair after nurses in China had been shaving their heads to prevent long hair inadvertently picking up the virus from infected patients.
Mr Kelly said BHS would look to the Victorian Health Department for such recommendations as to what was best for healthcare workers in this state.
The Ballarat nurse said there was high stress on general wards as they dealt with sick, often immuno-compromised patients and often with chronic conditions. And then feeling they were possibly taking a silent virus home to their families.
"No-one knows a lot about this situation but I think we'll all learn a lot retrospectively from the coronavirus," the nurse said. "I don't want to be part of a retrospective study. I want to be proactive now...even just for the sake of psychological welfare."
Meanwhile, Victorian-based Health Workers Union is being flooded with calls from its members including those in Ballarat who are predominantly non-medical staff.
HWU secretary Diana Asmar said there was a shortage of PPE statewide and it was being rationed in health facilities.
Ms Asmar acknowledge while there were PPE supply issues, the Victorian Government should do more to protect all workers in health facilities.
"We are in the calm before the storm and we still have frontline staff walking around without protective gear," Ms Asmar said.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Foundation did not respond to queries from The Courier.
Have you signed up to The Courier's variety of news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.