ELIZABETH.CHEUNG@SCMP.COM
UPDATED : Saturday, 26 March, 2016, 11:02pm
While the nature of nursing in a public hospital is stressful enough, flu season poses extra challenges. Photo: Sam Tsang
There is no question nurses in Hong Kong’s busy public hospitals bear the brunt of the overcrowding crisis.
“There is no time for us to think at all. I just have to do what I have to do immediately and basically no time to stop,” said Po (a pseudonym), a nurse in an acute emergency medicine ward.
During the flu peak season, her ward, which was designed to handle stable patients for observation, had to take in more severe patients with respiratory infections overflowing from the medical ward.
“Each patient needs more time of care … we have to collect samples of nose fluid, phlegm and blood,” said Po.
“There was one time when we only had seven patients of our own ward, and more than 20 patients were actually from the medical ward.”
Compounding the pressure was that her ward, which was supposed to take care of only 30 patients, had to increase beds to cater for up to 40 patients, but with the same four nurses.
During Lunar New Year when pressure on public hospitals was more severe, both nurses and patients were under pressure.
“We had to take in patients even when the beds were not ready. Patients could only wait on chairs or wheelchairs.”
While the nature of nursing in a public hospital is stressful enough, flu season poses extra challenges.
“The pressure is even greater than before. I have to work much faster than before, but never know how many more patients will be coming in,” Po said.
To save more time for patients, she cut her lunch break down to 15 minutes, and went to the toilet just twice in her eight-hour shift – during lunchtime and after work.
Work was on her mind even on her days off, as there was the possibility she would be called in to help. It happened more frequently during flu season, as some of her colleagues were falling ill more often, which she said was possibly due to the extra work stress.
Although the Hospital Authority claimed to have implemented a series of measures to relieve the pressure on nurses during flu season, including hiring 1,900 part-time nurses and paying nurses for working one extra hour or more, Po said the measures were not always effective.
“I’m actually exhausted. I would rather have days off and rest more. I can’t just turn on full gear at all times,” she said.
Talking to the Post at midnight after getting off from work at 10pm, Po was preparing to wake up at 5am the next day and head to her 7am shift.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1931051/driven-exhaustion-nurse-front-line
