Public Health

The NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association is providing support and advice to any members seeking information regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Join the NSWNMA to ensure you’re covered at work.

The Commonwealth Department of Health website contains detailed guidance for health sector workers and is updated regularly.

If members are concerned their employer is not following these guidelines, the NSWNMA can provide assistance to ensure appropriate measures are in place. Contact us.

Special paid leave

Thanks to ongoing NSWNMA negotiations around leave entitlements, NSW Health employees will have access to 20 days of paid special leave (for COVID-19) prior to a accessing their own accrued leave. This will be granted to employees who are unable to work because they are:

• Self-isolating due to travel or close contact COVID-19 exposure (exclusions apply)
• Caring for family members sick with COVID-19
• Caring for family members due to closure of school/daycare; and/or
• Unable to attend work due to transport disruptions or workplace closure

Where an employee is self-isolating on special leave and becomes sick for any reason; at that point the employee should transition onto sick leave. Where sick leave is exhausted, Health Agencies may grant additional sick leave on a case by case basis.

Those who travelled overseas from 16 March 2020, despite current notifications, will NOT be granted paid special leave to cover isolation upon return to Australia.

For travel prior to 16 March 2020, the entitlement to paid special leave will be dependent on the Smartraveller advice level on the date of their departure (see previous advice dependent if alert status was Level 1, or Levels 2-4)

Employees who remain overseas and are unable to return

Available FACS leave can be used for employees unable to return home due to COVID-19. Districts should be flexible with other leave requests (e.g. ADO, Annual and Long Service Leave and Leave without pay if FACS leave has been exhausted). Special paid leave is not granted for this purpose.

Staff Returning from Overseas Travel

From 12am on 16 March 2020, return to Australia from any overseas travel requires 14 days isolation.

Staff who returned to Australia from overseas between 2 March 2020 and midnight 15 March 2020, should also not attend work until 14 days have elapsed since their return from overseas. In settings where the absence of the healthcare worker will have a significant impact on health services, a case-by-case risk assessment will be undertaken with input from the Public Health Unit. Work from home arrangements may be arranged where appropriate.

Official Work Related Travel Arrangements for All Overseas and Domestic Travel (Including TESL)

All official overseas travel is to be cancelled. Domestic travel remains restricted to essential travel only.

Attendance at meetings and conferences

Outdoor gatherings of more than 500 people and indoor gatherings of more than 100 people are not to proceed in accordance with the public health orders on 23 March and 24 March. NOTE: An indoor gathering takes place within a single enclosed area (i.e. a single room or venue).

Essential activities such as healthcare settings, pharmacies, food shopping, schools, workplaces and public transport are not included in this restriction. However, social distancing and good hygiene practices should be applied in these settings where possible.

Previous full advice by the Committee includes the specific recommendation that mitigation strategies include: “limiting non-essential meetings or conferences of critical workforce e.g. healthcare professionals and emergency services”.

Vulnerable Staff

Healthcare workers who are either pregnant [1], aged 65 years or older, or who have underlying medical conditions that place them at greater risk of severe complications from COVID-19, should be re-deployed, wherever possible, to clinical areas and duties that have reduced exposure to patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19.

Medical conditions associated with a greater risk of severe complications from COVID-19 include:

• people with chronic medical conditions, such as lung disease, heart disease, kidney disease, neurological conditions and diabetes
• people with impaired immune systems (such as people who have cancer or HIV, or who take high dose corticosteroids).

Clinical areas with an increased risk of exposure to COVID-19 include emergency departments, infectious disease units and intensive care units. Facilities may also identify other areas of increased risk related to how COVID-19 patients are managed within the facility. Click here for more info.

Commonwealth support

A $2.4 billion health package has been released to support primary care, aged care, hospitals, research and the national medical stockpile.

Other useful resources

NSW Health is continuing to provide comprehensive information, fact sheets and updates about COVID-19 here.

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Public Health Workforce Surge Guidelines

More COVID-19 / Flu clinics are being established within all Local Health Districts to assess and diagnose patients with possible COVID-19 infections and other respiratory illness, such as influenza, as winter approaches.

NSW Health has existing policies for an operational response to COVID-19 and the emergency department preparedness for an influx of patients. Both guidelines below are from the NSW Health Influenza Pandemic Plan:

• Intensive Care Guidance for COVID-19
• Emergency Department Guidance for COVID-19

The NSWNMA will continue to provide further updates for members as we receive them. Information contained on this page is current as of 25 March 2020. Contact us here.

The NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association is providing support and advice to any members seeking information regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Join the NSWNMA to ensure you’re covered at work.

The Commonwealth Department of Health website contains detailed guidance for health sector workers and is updated regularly.

Your rights

If you are providing care for patients who have or are suspected to have COVID-19, your employer must provide you with appropriate PPE to ensure you can do your job safely. Such as:

• You are to wear prescribed PPE as instructed (your employer needs to ensure you are trained in how to use PPE safely).
• Do not undertake tasks requiring PPE if the PPE is not available for use. Any such tasks are not to proceed until required PPE is readily available.
• If you are concerned for your safety, you must raise your concerns immediately with your manager.

​​​As of 25 March, NSW Health is implementing a statewide strategy to ensure all staff have the personal protective equipment needed to protect them at work. This includes:

• collaborating with the Federal Government to access the national medical stockpile
• seeking alternative supply chains
• expediting equipment orders since January
• working around the clock to secure and move stock into NSW to meet future needs
• pursuing all channels of existing supply, new supply and alternative supplies
• engaging new and existing manufacturing opportunities in Australia
• supporting local PPE stock management to maintain consistent standards across the system
• centralising ordering and management of incoming supplies to ensure appropriate and effective allocation of supplies across the state.​

Further details to ensure the safety of NSW Health workers at all times and during the COVID-19 crisis, can be found here.

What PPE do I need at work for COVID-19?

This 11-page document provides detailed information about the application of PPE, but does not cover broader infection control issues. It’s a great resource for specific types of masks, gowns etc, that are appropriate when working with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients.

This flow chart, gives PPE guidance for patients within the Emergency Department.

Broader infection control guidance (with some PPE info included)

Hospital setting – this 9-page document looks more broadly at COVID-19 infection control in the hospital setting. It includes information about PPE (less detailed than the link above) but also provides information about things like environmental cleaning, linen and waste management.

Residential aged care – this 21-page document looks at COVID-19 infection control in residential aged care. It includes some information on PPE, but also information on what the organisation should do if one or more residents and/or staff have COVID-19, e.g. isolating, cohorting, visitor restrictions etc.

Primary and Community Care – this 6-page document looks at principles for infection control in primary and community settings, including details of PPE, cleaning etc.

National guidelines

The Australian Government has also published recommendations for the use of PPE when caring for people with possible COVID-19 infection.

• Using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during hospital care
• Using PPE during non-inpatient care

Report PPE concerns

If you have concerns that your employer is not providing you with the necessary PPE (or is making it very difficult to access) and/or is not training people in its safe use, then you should:

1. Put in an incident report at your workplace
   AND
2. Escalate your concerns to your manager in writing and ask for an urgent response

If your concerns are not being taken seriously, we can assist to ensure appropriate measures are in place. Contact us here. You can also contact SafeWork NSW on 13 10 50.

The NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association is providing support and advice to any members seeking information regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Members are encouraged to login to Member Central via the main website online.nswnma.asn.au and access Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 related issues. If your issues can’t be found in Member Central, please contact us here.

Ensure you’re covered at work by joining the NSWNMA.

If members are concerned their employer is not following COVID-19 guidelines, the NSWNMA can provide assistance to ensure appropriate measures are in place.

Online COVID-19 Training

The Department of Health has developed a free 30-minute online education course for workers in the aged care, health and disability sectors

After completing the course, course participants should be able to:

• understand the basics about the COVID-19 virus, including how it is spread
• describe what you can do to protect yourself and others
• know what to do if you develop symptoms
• know what to do if the person you are caring for develops symptoms
• tell the difference between myths and facts of COVID-19.

Register to participate in the training here.

The NSWNMA will continue to provide further updates for members as we receive them. Make sure you login to NSWNMA Member Central to see our members only FAQs here: online.nswnma.asn.au.

Information for health workers is available below and updated regularly as the situation progresses.

The NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association is providing support and advice to any members seeking information regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Ensure you’re covered at work by joining the NSWNMA.

The Commonwealth Department of Health website contains detailed guidance for health sector workers and is updated regularly.

If members are concerned their employer is not following these guidelines, the NSWNMA can provide assistance to ensure appropriate measures are in place. Contact us.

In the first instance, enquire with your employer whether it has published a policy in relation to COVID-19 and self-isolation. You may also be able to access such a policy on your employer’s intranet if it has one.

Leave (COVID-19)

If you’re directed not to attend work because you have COVID-19, are sick and/or exhibiting flu-like symptoms, then generally you will be required to take personal leave or sick leave. If you’ve run out of personal leave or sick leave then you should be able to access your other paid leave entitlements.

Leave entitlements during self-isolation

The Commonwealth Government requires people to self-isolate for 14 days if they have come into contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 or have returned from overseas travel from any country from midnight 16 March 2020 or returned from Mainland China, Iran, Italy and South Korea prior to midnight 16 March 2020. If you’ve been directed not to attend work due to these requirements then your employee entitlements will depend on your employer’s policy and the provisions of your award or enterprise agreement (see links to Industrial Instruments below).

Most private hospital nurses and midwives are covered by an enterprise agreement. Check it for relevant leave provisions, including personal/carer’s leave, and whether there are any stand down provisions that apply. If you require assistance identifying or interpreting your enterprise agreement then we’re here to help. You can contact us using this web form.

If you’re employed under the Nurses Award 2010 (only those without an enterprise agreement) and are required to self-isolate then it is reasonable for your employer to direct you onto personal/carer’s leave because you’re not able to work. If you’ve run out of personal/carer’s leave then you should be able to access other forms of paid leave that you have accrued.

Casual employees

Casual employees generally do not have the leave entitlements available to them that permanent employees have. If you’re a casual employee and required to self-isolate then your employer should consider standing you down on pay for any rostered shifts, although you are unlikely to have a legal right to the payment of wages for this time. Particular regard should be given by your employer to the length of your employment and whether you work on a regular and systematic basis.

Support

If your employer has directed you not to attend work for reasons related to COVID-19 and you have not been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 or returned from overseas travel, then please contact NSWNMA/ANMF-NSW for assistance.

Unfortunately employees in the private sector are not automatically entitled to the 20 days special leave made available by the NSW Government to its employees. We assure you NSWNMA/ANMF-NSW is in a range of discussions with multiple private sector and aged care employers regarding COVID-19 and we’re encouraging them to adopt strategies and frameworks similar to the public sector with regards to isolation. The Association will continue making representations on behalf of members on a case by case basis.

The above is intended as general information only and the advice in relation to each case will depend on its particular circumstances.

Sign the petition and support the campaign for 14 days paid special leave here.

The NSWNMA will continue to provide further updates for members as we receive them. Information contained on this page is current as of 19 March 2020. Contact us here.