Message from the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer

Dear colleagues,

This year is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale - the world's most famous nurse and founder of modern nursing.

Her pioneering work was born out of crisis - war.  And so it is today that nurses around the world and in Australia are once again on the frontline and in a war - this time against the dreadful coronavirus.

Here in Australia, nurses are playing a critical role across the patient care spectrum.

Nurses are working in respiratory clinics, providing important support, comfort and guidance to people who are worried and frightened about whether they have COVID-19.  Nurses are delivering care to people in their homes so they can stay well - particularly people with chronic conditions.  In aged care, nurses are helping to put in place vital infection control processes to protect the most vulnerable.

Nurses are very much at the frontline in the intensive care units, where the nurse is the person who is at the bedside of the most vulnerable, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Nurses are the most valuable resource that the Australian Government is looking to tap into, if demand for hospital care puts strain on our health system and health workers, who everyday are saving and improving lives.

We are seeing midwives continue to provide vital services to the community. 

Pregnancy, birth and post-natal care don't stop with a pandemic. 

Midwives are working to ensure that all women have accessible, safe effective maternity care.

Health Minister Greg Hunt recently announced important initiatives to bolster the ranks of nurses around the nation. The government is funding up to 20,000 new online education places so that registered nurses can develop skills and knowledge to help in the delivery of care in intensive care and high dependency units across Australia.

This will allow experienced nurses to be used to maximum effect in the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and support a doubling in the number of intensive care beds in hospitals.  The government is also funding an online refresher course to help registered nurses, who may have recently left the clinical practice to refresh their skills to support the workforce.  These initiatives have the strong support of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, Australian College of Nursing and Australian College of Critical Care Nurses.

There has been a strong response from nurses, with both programs fully subscribed.  The speed of enrolments greatly exceeded expectations.

I am very heartened by this response - but certainly not surprised.  That so many nurses would put up their hands to be part of the fight against coronavirus is, simply, what nurses do.  It's in their DNA.

As we honour the work of nurses and midwives through the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife and celebrate Florence Nightingale's pioneering work, it is worth remembering that the major focus of her care of wounded soldiers in the Crimean War was the importance of sanitation and hygiene, including handwashing.

Through simple improvements, she was able to cut the mortality rate massively.

Following the principles of good hygiene, particularly handwashing, is now at the very heart of our COVID-19 pandemic response.

We are back to the basics - and they're working, just as they did nearly two centuries ago.

Alison