Nurse Carmen West is one of 20 nurses on a rotating roster working in Gisborne Hospital’s newly created isolation ward looking after people admitted for a variety of reasons. Image: Biddy Robb.
When she gets home from working in Gisborne Hospital’s isolation ward each day effervescent nurse Carmen West likes nothing more than kicking off her shoes and catching up with family over a Milo.
“They miss me because, well, a mum lifts the household doesn’t she?” she laughs. “But they don’t worry at all about where I’m working because they know I’m experienced and that I wouldn’t put them or my patients at risk. I certainly don’t want to be the weak link during this pandemic.”
Mrs West, Tainui, Tuwharetoa, is one of 20 nurses on a rotating roster working in Gisborne Hospital’s newly created isolation ward looking after people admitted for a variety of reasons.
Mrs West says she loves nursing and it’s a privilege to work in the isolation ward.
“I am surrounded by colleagues who know so much. In our ward there’s no reason for anyone to be at risk. The protocols aren’t complicated as long as you follow them and take care of each other and the patient’s safety.”
Mrs West says the support of her husband Wayne and his fantastic dinners, and the companionship of her children Ned (14) and Hine (10) make her work life balance easy during these unprecedented times.
Clinical nurse manager Louisa Fonoti says the West whanau are one of many proud families in the district rallying behind loved ones nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our staff have really awesome families supporting them. Of course they have asked lots of questions of their working family member but we’ve been able to reassure them about the way we work and the measures we have in place that make Gisborne Hospital a safe place to be.”
Mrs Fonoti says nurses volunteered to work in the isolation ward, and did so with the support of their families.
“Nurses feel they have a duty of care to their patients and the community. In the background whānau are showing their support and not putting any extra demands on their family members at this time.”
Mrs Fonoti, Ngāti Porou, says for a variety of reasons a very small number of nurses opted not to work in the isolation ward during the national lockdown.
Reasons include they are immunocompromised or someone in their family is. Some nurses have been redeployed in other areas of the hospital or have chosen to take their annual leave.
Mrs Fonoti has nursed for 25 years and returns each night to her own family bubble. She says “the decision was for each individual staff member to make.”
Three nurses have taken advantage of accommodation provided onsite at the hospital while they work in the isolation ward. Another nurse asked extended whānau to look after her young child while she continued to work at the hospital.
Mrs Fonoti says nurses working in the isolation ward are aged in their early 20s to their 60s. They work across three shifts with a handover period between each one.
She says most nurses she’s spoken to like Carmen West don’t think they’re doing anything particularly heroic. “We’re just taking each day at a time, we face any new hurdles, and find a solution.”
One of the nicest aspects of the COVID-19 health response is the opportunity to work with a different mix of nurses across the reconfigured wards, she says.
“While working in a new ward can feel a bit like living in someone else’s marae, it’s been a fantastic chance to work alongside nurses you wouldn’t normally see.”
ENDS