NurseWest nurses recognised in special tribute
Two NurseWest nurses were recognised at this year’s WA Nursing & Midwifery Excellence Awards for their dedication and service to the national COVID-19 response.
At the height of the Victorian COVID-19 outbreak last year, Daniel Ndegwa and Farah Masoomian answered the call and flew to Victoria to help some of our most vulnerable Australians by working in aged care facilities with COVID-19 positive patients.
Growing up in rural Kenya in a vulnerable community, Daniel experienced firsthand the devastation that can occur if a healthcare system becomes overwhelmed by infectious disease.
In many instances a little help, sooner could have gone a long way, so when Melbourne needed assistance, he knew he was the man for the job.
Daniel was assigned to assist a memory support unit caring for residents with dementia and memory loss. This was a challenge as all the regular staff had been quarantined due to the COVID-19 outbreak and Daniel and his new team had to quickly be acquainted with the care home and establish a routine. Forming a routine was a priority as it relieves anxiety and stress for many of the elderly patients with memory issues who need structure and consistency in their day.
While the acute symptoms from COVID-19 were debilitating for many of the patients, Daniel said it was often the other restrictions imposed that were the most challenging. Having to isolate confused residents and communicating from behind a mask was incredibly difficult and goes against the norm and that is crucial for these residents.
“It was the detachment from the love and care of their family and loved ones that dealt many the heaviest blow,” Daniel said.
Farah also didn’t hesitate when she was asked to travel to Victoria to assist her colleagues during the outbreak and was motivated by considering what would happen if her parents were in the same situation and needed someone to help and look after them.
Similarly, Farah found it upsetting to witness the effect of physical isolation with many residents unable to understand why their family could not visit or be in the same room.
“It was heartbreaking to witness a husband visit his wife every day and wave through a glass window, unable to see her face-to-face,” Farah said.
To bring some comfort and joy to the residents, Farah offered to use her skills as a hairdresser to give haircuts as many had not been able to have their hair done in months. In her final three days, Farah was asked not to attend to any clinical work, and she gave over 38 haircuts in full PPE.
“It was so heart-warming to see the smiles it brought to everyone’s faces. Every single smile brought joy to my heart,” she said.
When asked if they would do it again, both Farah and Daniel said they would volunteer again to protect our elderly, if they were called upon.
“It was my pleasure and an incredibly rewarding experience to be able to help some of our most vulnerable Australians and I will do it all over again if the need arises,” Farah said.
The experience also highlighted to Daniel how lucky we are to be Australian.
“Seeing how well coordinated our government agencies are in times of an emergency, gives one a real sense of security and made me grateful to be an Aussie,” Daniel said.
Daniel and Farah both showed resilience and dedication in their ability to overcome multiple challenges to assist those in need.
This meant relocating to Victoria away from family and friends, nursing COVID-19 positive patients and working 12-hour shifts in full PPE and often having to change PPE up to 35 times a day.
Daniel and Farah both received a letter of recognition from Prime Minister Scott Morrison thanking them for their action and sacrifice in protecting our aged care residents and providing relief for our aged care workers.
The WA Nursing & Midwifery Excellence Awards also created and awarded Farah a special ‘Hairdresser of the Year Award’ in recognition of her deft hand and thoughtfulness!
Thank you, Daniel and Farah, for your hard work and sacrifice in these unprecedented times and congratulations on your well-deserved recognition at the 2020 Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards. Your selflessness in caring for our most vulnerable is inspiring.