“My friends read articles about the call-out and messaged me saying, ‘Tiffany, did you see this?’ Little did they know I had already put my hand up,” said 20-year-old nursing student, Tiffany Seo.
It has been one week since ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith called on members of the public with nursing experience to bolster their ranks, with 400 medical staff unavailable due to quarantine requirements.
“Calling on nurses in the ACT who are not currently working in the health system to come forward and help us,” Ms Stephen-Smith said last Wednesday.
“Every recently retired nurse, or a nurse who is taking a career break with the capacity to return will make a real difference.”
Since then, hundreds of applications have been received, including from student nurses nearing the completion of their studies.
“We have been working closely with the ACT health care sector unions, professional peak bodies and universities to bring student health practitioners on board to assist in the ACT’s COVID-19 pandemic response,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
Among them, Tiffany, a third year nursing student at the University of Canberra, was elated to volunteer for what she called a once-in-a-hundred-years opportunity.
“To be a vaccinator, an immunisation nurse, to be able to take such a huge first step into our nursing careers … it’s rare, to say the least,” she said.
“Australia is responding to COVID-19 very well. If I can be a part of that, I’ll be even prouder to be a nurse.”
Where some might have been nervous, Tiffany could not wait to join the ranks of health care professionals she had admired and worked closely with for years.
“I work admin at the Garran Surge Centre. I always looked up to the immunisation nurses for being so professional and compassionate. I started to approach them on their breaks, asking for help with homework,” she said.
Tiffany soon grew close to her mentors and, in turn, they encouraged her continuously to join them on the front lines of the ACT’s COVID-19 response.
“Las time I saw them they said, ‘see you next time in your uniform’,” she smiled.
As well as wanting to join the team officially, Tiffany was motivated after fielding hundreds of complaints as a hospital administrator from anti-vaxxers or those who are vaccine hesitant.
“Vaccines are the fastest solution,” she said.
“Us students joining the team means that [vaccines] are working, that they are an effective guideline that the government is doing everything to uphold.
“It’s also changing perspectives, even if it’s just of the students’ families. Us fighting for this makes them take a second look at vaccination.”
