Cookson-Butler, Elizabeth

Sheedy, Angela

Fernandes, Tammy-Allyn

2023-08-01

The Centre for National Resilience (CNR), Howard Springs Quarantine Facility applied a nurse led primary health care model to facilitate and develop an agile emergency response workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic. This demonstrated nurses have the skills to lead staff through disasters despite anxieties and stress faced during the pandemic. This project is focused on the challenges faced and the strategies implemented by an innovative nurse leadership team to establish a cohesive workforce. Purpose: This project aimed to identify those characteristics that made the CNR operation a success in relation to the nurse lead health workforce, with focus on: • Creating new health team structures • Building staff resilience • Developing and maintaining education and training. Methods: The project presents a qualitative approach that aligns closely with a case study. The project team conducted a descriptive analysis of secondary data inclusive of newsletters, standard operations of practice, orientation & induction, education and training information, staff site meeting minutes, and annual reports. This incorporated a longitudinal study of the variations and challenges of the pandemic aligned with the facility’s response strategies. Findings: Core findings identified the challenges and strategies with emergency nurse leadership regarding: • New workforce models, with student nurses utilised as Assistant in Nursing positions, non-health team members working directly with health professionals in resident care, and the introduction of a buddy system for workforce capacity and staff safety. • Development of a sustainable education and training response, focusing on immediate emergency response needs, as well as a sustainable approach to workforce professional development. • A focus on building team resilience. • Identification of internal and external challenges for nurse leaders. The CNR has been identified as a quarantine centre of excellence during the Covid-19 pandemic. This project shares those core findings around positive leadership, innovation and reactive strategies, which contributed to a functional and cohesive workforce. It demonstrates nurses can productively contribute to develop and lead a successful community response and provides workforce considerations for future disasters.

Cookson-Butler, E., Sheedy, A., & Fernandes, T-A. (2023, August 1). Nurse leadership challenges and strategies in an emergency response workforce [Conference presentation]. NT Health Research Symposium, Darwin, NT, Australia.

https://hdl.handle.net/10137/13943

NT Health Research Symposium

Nurse leadership challenges and strategies in an emergency response workforce

Conference presentation

Publication