More than 1,500 nurses have undertaken Intensive Care Unit (ICU) refresher training to boost ICU staff and combat COVID-19.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the registered nurses were upskilled in intensive care nursing and ready to work in ICUs across the State.
“ICU nurses are key members of our critical care teams and we now have 1,500 more who can join our workforce during the pandemic,” Ms Berejiklian said.
She said the cohort had undertaken training alongside active ICU nurses at patient bedsides to refresh their knowledge and practical skills in critical care nursing.
Minister for Health, Brad Hazzard said ICU nurses continued to play a vital role in delivering world-class critical care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“ICU nurses deliver an extraordinary standard of care all year round to regional and metropolitan communities across NSW, and we need them now more than ever in our fight against COVID-19,” Mr Hazzard said.
“The NSW Government has already doubled our ICU capacity to prepare for COVID-19 cases and we’re working towards quadrupling it,” he said.
Mr Hazzard said boosting the NSW Health clinical workforce in ICUs was a critical step in the Governments COVID-19 preparation.
He said the State had seen a recent decline in new cases but had to be ready for any escalation of the virus, particularly with winter on the way.
