Richard Boyd Barrett on nurses' COVID trauma and staffing needs
Richard Boyd Barrett questioned frontline healthcare safety after nurses described workplace COVID-19 exposure, understaffing and severe psychological trauma. He pressed for concrete measures ahead of a likely second wave and sought clarity on staffing targets to protect both COVID and non-COVID services.
Testimony from a frontline nurse
A nurse told the Dáil she was 27, had no underlying conditions and contracted COVID-19 at work amid understaffing, extreme burnout and overexposure. She said PPE training was provided and changed with supply, but the workplace felt like a hazard; her symptoms led to a 12-week absence and a week-long hospital admission.
Safety and staffing concerns raised
The speaker described accounts of unsafe hours, unsafe staffing levels and pressure on staff to work despite risks or financial need. He warned that if those conditions persist the service faces serious danger in a likely second wave in September and the autumn, and asked whether lessons have been learned and whether the HSE is preparing staff appropriately.
Psychological impact and support needs
Nurses reported high mortality among patients and profound trauma from caring for dying COVID-19 patients and then becoming patients themselves. The nurse said access to a phone number or app for psychological support is insufficient and called for significant debriefing and dedicated mental health support for frontline staff.
Recruitment numbers and permanence
Contributors told the Dáil the service still operates with around 1,000 fewer nurses than in 2007 and is busier than before. They argued for permanent increases in staffing rather than reliance on agency staff, and a minimum recruitment target of 5,000 additional nurses and midwives to meet both COVID and non-COVID demand.
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First of all, can I thank all the contributors, and can I particularly pay tribute to Siobhan and all her colleagues for putting themselves in harm's way in clearly very, very difficult circumstances to protect all of us over recent months. But it seems, from what you're telling us, that the rhetoric that we heard about the wonderful work of healthcare workers hasn't actually been matched by really supporting the frontline healthcare workers such as yourself in the way that they should. And I mean, I have to say that listening to your contributions, I just find it shocking and frightening what you're telling us. That we, it is shocking and frightening that what you seem to be saying is healthcare workers on the frontline are working unsafe hours with unsafe staffing levels, being put under pressure to go to work even when they have underlying conditions or for financial reasons and that if that persists we are in deep trouble if there's a second wave as is very likely in September and in the autumn. I mean, is that a fair assessment of what you're telling us? And I'd really like to hear from Siobhan on this. I mean, do you feel that the lessons are being learned about what happened to you and the experience you've gone through? And are you prepared, are your colleagues prepared, and most importantly, are the HSE giving you the support to be prepared for what's coming in the autumn? Thank you. Firstly, I'd like to point out that I am 27 years of age with no medical, previous or underlying health conditions. I unjustifiably contracted COVID-19 in the workplace, as was previously said, due to understaffing, being completely overwhelmed with the role of the nurse, extreme burnout as well, and overexposure to COVID-19. I believe I was competent in my PPE. We had extensive training and education on the ward from infection prevention and control in the hospital on a daily basis as PPE did change depending on supply. In terms of being prepared for a second surge, as nurses who are professionals, who, I'm speaking from my own hospital, I can't say any of my colleagues presented to the ward with symptoms of COVID-19. There was a very clear pathway that you isolated, you got a swab through occupational health and work, and you got your results, and subsequently were off work for 14 days, if not longer, as in my case, for 12 weeks due to symptoms. Going forward, the psychological impact of COVID-19 has been detrimental to myself and my colleagues, and I'm sure I can speak on behalf of the nurses of Ireland when I say that. Being given a phone number or an app to access from home for psychological trauma, for PTSD, as was mentioned, just is not sufficient. We need significant debriefing going forward. Our mortality rate was incredibly high. We're nurses to save lives, but we were fighting a losing battle at the very start of COVID-19, and we don't want to see that again. Personally, I don't think I can walk into a workplace that is unsafe, and that is how I felt at times, even though provided with PPE, and I was confident, as I said, to me, the workplace was a hazard. I ended up in hospital for a week due to my symptoms that escalated out of my control, and I had to be monitored and investigated as an inpatient in the hospital where I work, where just a week previous, I would have been standing as a nurse at the bedside providing care to dying patients who succumbed to COVID-19. That's extremely traumatising, and I don't know if any nurse could overcome that with just a number or an app. The more needs to be done. Yeah, and just, Siobhan, I mean, and just thank you so much on behalf of all of us for what you've done. What do you, do you feel that there has been lessons learned by the HSE, by the government, from the experience that you've gone through, the rather harrowing experience you've clearly gone through? And do you get any sense that the problems are going to be addressed, I mean, what, you know, what would making the situation different and better for you mean on the ground as a front care health care worker in the autumn? Is it about just more staff working less hours, less periods of exposure, and more, you know, support for the psychological impacts? If I could ask you that, and maybe just quickly, because my time is out for Phil, Phil, I mean, just very briefly, what numbers, Phil, do we need to get to recruit into the frontline to be at safe levels, to deal with COVID and non-COVID health care come the autumn? I'll just keep it very brief. We definitely need increased numbers in staff nurses permanently, not just agency staff that come in and, you know, for a day here or there. We need to increase the number of nurses that are on a roster. We work seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and if somebody falls sick, they have to be replaced. I'll pass you over to Phil. Phil, I don't know if any of your time. Thank you, Deputy. I think the figures we constantly quote are the figures that were in place pre the first recession, and we're still working with 1,000 fewer nurses today than we were in 2007, and we know the health service is much busier. In providing both COVID and non-COVID services, we need a minimum of 5,000 more nurses, a minimum, and that includes midwives, it's nurses and midwives for both services. Right over time. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks, sir. Thank you. Thank you.
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