Today, I spoke to a clinical nurse manager working in community Mental Health Services at an undisclosed location in Ireland. After some back and forth on social media she kindly agreed to a 90 minute interview. What she had to say is damning of the HSE over their slipshod disregard of the rights of mental health patients in relation to the vaccine roll-out.
This is certainly the type of Interview that plays better on audio than on the written page. Once again, Yvonne ( not her real name) has bravely agreed to allow me to record and publish our conversation here. She feels strongly as mother and a nurse that she has responsibility to speak out about what she sees going on at the moment in our Health Service. The conversation is our raw and unedited phone conversation. If you know a medical profession or care worker willing to speak out please ask them to get in touch with me today.
Yvonne, highlighted the shocking details, of how in many cases mental health patients informed consent, in a residential setting, is never sought for vaccination. In other cases, families are completely left out of the loop in terms of them giving their consent for the vaccination of mental health relative.
Yvonne spoke bravely on many topics she feels are totally ignored and worries that her 14 year career as a health professional in Ireland is under threat due to her stance on her own vaccination. She feels isolated and anxious and is highly critically of the Nursing Union she is a member of - who to date offer her no guidance or practical support.
We spoke on many topics from mental health services, the effects of Covid on her patients, the general temperature within the HSE and the almost Stalinistic authoritarianism of senior management.
One of Yvonne’s biggest concerns during the course of our chat is the treatment of student nurses and the removal of trainees from work placements. Student nurses in Trinity College Dublin are being advised they cannot go on hospital placement without COVID vaccination. I was able to access the following e-mail letter that was dispatched in regard to this matter recently by senior management in the Nurse Placement Development Team.
Dear Colleagues,
We hope you are all keeping well. As you are aware 2nd and 4th year students are returning to placement next week from the 13th September. As of yesterday evening, Trinity College Allocations has directed that all students who are not fully vaccinated do not attend placement. Therefore all undergraduate students attending placement from TCD will be fully vaccinated (this excludes internship students who are considered members of staff and do not fall under this direction).
The Nurse Practice Development Team will continue to collect the COVID-19 Healthcare Worker Relocation Self Risk Assessment (please see attached) prior to students starting placement. If we note any areas of concern we may direct covid swabbing and will discuss with yourselves. Some students may continue to work at the weekends during their practice placement. We have advised all students to discuss this with staff at the commencement of placement. We have advised students to complete the COVID-19 Healthcare Worker Relocation Self Risk Assessment every time they are returning to placement after working elsewhere. They must present this form to the nurse in charge before commencing their shift on placement.
We are unable to direct students with regards to not working during placement and each area may have specific concerns therefore we have directed students to discuss this with their individual placements. Please let us know if you have queries. As always the Nurse Practice Development Team will be available to answer specific concerns throughout the placement.
Kind Regards,
NPDT
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Monday Interview: HSE Clinical Nurse Manager Slams HSE over blatant disregard of " informed consent " of mental health patients in Vaccine Rollout.