Over 1,000 nurses join fight against Covid-19
More than 1,000 nurses have joined the nursing and midwifery register to fight against Covid-19.
The Nursing and Midwifery Board (NMBI) announced that since March 1, the register that has passed 78,000 for the first time as 1,169 nurses have joined .
A breakdown of the figures shows that 784 nurses have been restored to the register and 385 are new registrants.
The register went from 77,111 to 78,150 and over the period, 130 nurses voluntarily removed themselves from it.
The implementation of emergency measures means that previous entrants can be restored to the register without incurring any restoration fees.
Chief executive of the board, Sheila McClelland, said they are restoring qualified nurses and midwives from all over the country who were retired and on career breaks.
The board has been dealing with regulators and other bodies in Ireland to support faster processing of certificates of good standing, qualifications and language competency for nurses from Britain and further afield.
‘Our staff are working hard on applications, resulting in up to 80 being processed daily,” said Ms McClelland.
We continue to explore mechanisms to support all qualified nurses and midwives who want to join frontline staff. We aim to do everything we can to support those who can and want to help.
The NMBI has confirmed the registration status of more than 500 applicants who applied to the ‘OnCall for Ireland’ campaign through the HSE as well as those who went to the board directly.
The board is charged with protecting patients and other members of the public while upholding the highest standards of practice for registered midwives and nurses.
It has reminded nurses and midwives that self-care is important during the coronavirus pandemic. While employers would help with any potential risk if nurses or midwives have any concerns that either they or their patients are at risk they should raise them directly with their manager, it says.
“Open communication, self-protection and team support will help nurses and midwives to protect those in their care,” the board stated.
The NMBI added that it will do everything it can to support nurses during this emergency.
