CV and mad panic behaviour

[ElwoodBlues1]

It really doesn't matter how many beds and how much equipment you have if you do not have the staff.

I saw an interview with a public hospital specialist the other day who was asked a question relating to numbers of beds and staffing levels.  He said that each covid patient in ICU needed 24 hour attention by two covid trained nurses per shift - a total of six nurses working eight hour shifts. He added that the work was exhausting as the nurses also had to turn the patients in their beds.

He was asked about training and said that an experienced nurse needed an additional 12 months training to work in covid wards but because of the additional workload imposed on staff since covid patients began arriving in hospitals last year there was not enough time to set aside for training.

Another Melbourne public hospital specialist interviewed tonight said his colleagues in Sydney have told him the position is far worse in Sydney hospitals than the public is being told, and staff are exhausted.

Given our hospitals are following hard on the heels of those in NSW it is easy to imagine the collapse of public hospitals in both states when we open up and restrictions ease.

Yep staff are the key and ICU training is 12 months with or without the Covid training. The RNs who do it also tend to be the best of breed both academic wise as well as practically so it's not for everyone. With pay levels not that much better you are also relying on the most dedicated and who will work double shifts, you don't get many agency fill ins who are ICU trained.