St Augustine’s doctors volunteer their time for nurses

DOCTORS at the Netcare St Augustine’s Hospital have started a nursing initiative to show their appreciation to the frontline workers. The in-house initiative provides free clinical psychological and educational support to nurses who may be feeling overwhelmed with the stresses of working during a pandemic.

Dr Letasha Kalideen, a specialist physician at St Augustine’s, said 29 doctors have volunteered their time and expertise for this initiative.

“Nurses are under a lot of stress at the moment, so we wanted to do something that showed that we value them and acknowledge their importance in this institution,” she said. How the initiative works is that there?s an appointed ward champion in each ward and if a nurse in that ward needs any help they will inform their ward champion.

The ward champion will then forward the information to the psychiatrists and the nurse will be assisted. There will also be a box in each ward filled with words of affirmation and simple treats like a stick sweet.

“It is sort of like a buddy system. They should know that they are not alone. We are trying to create a culture of caring, community and support,” said Kalideen.

Kalideen said the process is entirely private so that nurses do not have to feel the stigma that they are not coping or are under pressure.

The initiative adds on to the internal support structures that Netcare already has in place for its health workers.

Earlier this year, St Augustine’s had to be temporarily closed after it was rocked by a Coronavirus outbreak that led to 80 hospital staff, made up of mostly nurses, being infected with the virus.

“Nurses have continuously gone over and above the call of duty for their patients and it is now time we do the same for them,” said Kalideen.

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