Premier Steven Marshall says boosting and upskilling the frontline workforce is part of the state government’s plan to prepare South Australia for the impacts of the coronavirus.
“It is critically important that we boost our frontline defence and give them the support they need to keep South Australians safe and healthy.”
The strategy of the State Liberal Government to increase nursing and midwifery workforce capacity and capability includes:
- Rapid upskilling of nurses by working with education partners
- Fast-tracking recruitment of nurses and midwives with a range of skills including intensive care, home care and aged care
- Supporting student nurses to assist in key COVID-19 response functions, including as part of multi-disciplinary teams in sample collection centres, testing clinics and border screening
- Developing innovative models of care that allow nurses/midwives to work more flexibly across a number of healthcare sites or through a hospital at home model
- Supporting nurses/midwives through clinical mentoring and coaching
- Investigating the capacity of part-time nurses/midwives to increase their hours.
