More help is on the way for the hospitals in Chatham and Wallaceburg to fight the spread of COVID-19.
Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) said it is welcoming back retired nurses and adding 10 nursing students and 10 graduate nurses over the next few weeks to add capacity and help fight the virus.
CKHA said the nursing students will assist with such duties as screening, portering, assisting patients with activities of daily living, monitoring patients who need 1:1 supervision, and various other activities to support patient care. They will have orientation this week and will be ready to assist following that orientation.
The 10 graduate nurses (nurses who have completed their four-year program but have not yet written their licensing exams) will start in the next two weeks pending receipt of their temporary license to practice.
"I am young and healthy and I feel in my situation, it is my duty to give back any way I can. I saw the opportunity and jumped on it," said Simon Duchesne, a second-year nursing student at the University of Windsor. "We completed our general orientation this week to ready us for our new roles and I feel very welcomed and supported here."
CKHA is also reaching out to retired nurses and is working with those who have expressed a desire to return to assist in the fight against COVID-19.
"I am returning to work at CKHA for the same reasons I started nursing 34 years ago and that is for my patients. I also want to support my fellow nurses, staff and physicians at the hospital as best as I can when they are feeling overwhelmed during this unprecedented time," said Janice McFadden, a retired Registered Nurse who served for 31 years. "Everyone can help stop this virus by physical distancing and staying at home and I can help by supporting our health care team."
The College of Nurses of Ontario has been given authority from the provincial government to issue emergency class certificates of registration to qualified Registered Nurses and Registered Practical Nurses who have retired or have an expired registration.
The college is expediting all registrations.
CKHA CEO Lori Marshall said in late March that the hospitals have a plan to deal with staff burnout as the COVID numbers continue to increase. CKHA said healthcare graduates and licences are being fast-tracked and retired staff is being asked to return to action to deal with the anticipated virus surge and to give other front line staff a much-needed break.
Any nursing student, graduate, or retiree interested in helping out during this unprecedented time at CKHA, can contact Kyle Jelovic, Recruitment Advisor at 519.352.6401 ext. 6057 or kjelovic@ckha.on.ca for more information.