I’m a final year student RN and I work casually as an AIN at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

We have been chronically understaffed since well before this pandemic. As a nursing assistant, I should be there to help RNs, supplement the team and provide extra assistance for high dependence patients. I should NOT be there in replacement of multiple RNs. As much as I feel overworked and overwhelmed, I mostly just feel bad for the RNs who are struggling to maintain the minimum of patient care, and who I am limited to help due to my limited scope of practice.

The pandemic has made me scared but the government’s response has made me furious. As much as I want to help supplement a hardworking yet dwindling workforce, I do not want to do so without the support or acknowledge from our leaders. I do not want to knowingly enter a career that is characterised by burning out workers.

I want to be a nurse because I care for people and want to support them during difficult times. I do not want to be a nurse decause I know in the current environment I would hate every second of it and lose my compassion for others in an instant.

At this stage, I am seriously considering either retraining in another field, deferring my graduation, or moving interstate where they do have nurse:patient ratios. Either way, I will not be applying for a job in a Sydney hospital at the end of this year.

Perottet, stop telling us we are coping. Experienced nurses are quitting and new nurses are dropping out. Action needs to be taken now before we have no nurses left.