26 September 2023

Chief nurse pays tribute to COVID personnel

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The Government’s Chief Midwifery and Nursing Officer, Alison McMillan (pictured) has paid tribute to the nurses’ key role during the COVID-19 pandemic — and the role they expect to be playing in the vaccine rollout.

“From the earliest days, the nation’s nurses have played a key role in managing the impact of the virus,” Professor McMillan said.

“Unquestionably, they deserve our upmost respect.

“Nurses have worked tirelessly across the patient care spectrum — in respiratory clinics, general practices, hospitals, testing centres, aged care, and people’s own homes — supporting, comforting, caring, and treating.”

She said nurses from hospitals joined their colleagues working in residential aged care facilities to continue to provide care to those most vulnerable.

“Interstate nurses answered the call to assist their Victorian colleagues during Victoria’s second wave,” she said.

“They left their family and friends with the certainty of quarantine on their return home, to pitch in and help.”

Professor McMillan said that across the country, nurses continued to care for their communities while also home schooling their children.

She said the strength and resilience of the nurses and their willingness to continue working during extremely challenging circumstances is to be commended and “makes me very proud.”

She said the Australian College of Nursing was taking the lead role in preparing the training materials which would cover the handling and administration of COVID-19 vaccines, including the use of multi-use vials and cold storage handling practices for the Pfizer vaccine.

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