A year in the life … by Alison Hughes, ARNS Chair
by Alison Hughes - Chair ARNS
What a strange year 2021 was. I took over as Chair of ARNS on 1st January 2021 and on 4th January I was instantly redeployed into setting up a mass vaccination hub. Although COVID had been in my life for most of the last year, this new lockdown and change of role was something else.
On that first day, I walked into the building (one that had certainly passed it’s use by) and the decorators were still trying to make the place look presentable. The place had become the home to many squirrels, and they were not all that keen on the eviction notice that they had been given.
Within 1 month we were operational and seeing our first patients on 1st February. By this stage we were seeing patients in JCVI priority group 2-3. I remember seeing the first patients walk through the doors. There were certainly mixed emotions. Some were extremely nervous as many had not left their homes for months and were not used to being around other people. Others were excited and used this as an opportunity to dress up in their ‘Sunday best’. Never had safeguarding been more pertinent. Regardless of how they felt about coming out, they were all so thankful to have the vaccination and to get life back to some sort of normality and of course, feel safer.
As time went on, and the cohorts changed, the service had to adapt to rapidly changing guidance and often the first we heard about these changes was via the BBC. I remember the day I heard about the blood clotting issues with the Astra Zeneca vaccine on the news, my heart sank as I knew just how difficult the coming days were going to be. It quickly became” I only want Pfizer”, where beforehand the biggest problem was people who weren’t quite within the cohort trying their luck.
We were the only centre that was offering all 3 vaccines in one day. Not bad for an old building with issues of flow, that required regular moving around. Staff who hadn’t worked in the centre for a couple of days would say “so what’s changed since I was last here?” The answer would usually be “everything!”
Then the issue of 2nd doses and the opening of travel. This was potentially the lowest point I felt within my vaccination journey. This saw the people who hadn’t initially wanting the vaccine demanding it and then were upset that they had to wait 8 weeks for their second dose. The stories staff would hear about why they needed it sooner. There suddenly became a very big difference in the way staff were treated, with many traumatised by some of the abuse. The clapping on a Thursday had long gone and we had become victims to their fury. Security guards were never far away.
So, what could be next? Well that would be the children. I visited all the secondary schools in my area and saw some very well behaved and some not quite so well behaved!
Despite all the challenges and changes, I am very proud to have been part of a service that adapted so well, and it doesn’t look like the centre will be closing anytime soon. I have met some amazing colleagues, from different backgrounds (some who were not in the NHS) and will always be enriched from meeting them. I loved listening to their stories and hope that I have been a small part in developing some of their careers. Booster doses are in full swing and perhaps I’m glad that I won’t be involved with thinking about vaccinating the 5-12year olds!
Redeployment has certainly had its issues. Since the start of the pandemic, this was my third placement and the one that lasted the longest. This redeployment was a positive redeployment for me, where I was able to develop a team and enjoyed working with people from different aspects within and outside of the NHS. However, the previous redeployments were not quite as positive. Within these, I was left feeling devalued whereby I was not listened to and my skills were underutilised. I felt forced to work in areas where I was left questioning processes and habits but feeling that I did not have the support of the management of these services. It seemed that initially my organisation had lost sight of the values that they hold dear, and I can only imagine how junior staff felt, as there is usually a cascade effect. It left me feeling unsure of my path forward and the usual dedication we have towards our profession. I began to wonder how I could get out but thinking I was not worthy or useful due to how disillusioned I was. It was certainly a spiral that could have got out of hand. I needed to utilise all the resilience that I had to try and see the light at the end of the tunnel, and this was the vaccination hub.
I have now been pulled out of the vaccination hub, and I am looking at the next stage in the COVID journey, which is setting up a service to treat COVID positive patients with monoclonal antibodies and antivirals. It seems like it’s the next step. It is another service that has ever changing goal posts, but I suppose my time in the vaccination centre helped me there!
So, what about my job prior to the redeployments? I am also able to rediscover respiratory within my actual day job, which is great. Diagnostics are still a passion of mine and, although my initial service closed in March 2020, I am using the ‘blueprint’ of this to set up a breathlessness diagnostic hub…someone’s got to do spirometry on all these patients!
Throughout this year, ARNS has kept me respiratory focussed but it has been difficult to keep up with everything respiratory and I need to thank my Vice Chair, Board, and sub-committee members for all they have done this year. ARNS is an amazing organisation and I am very proud to be the Chair.
We know that a lot of you will have experienced a difficult year, changing roles, family circumstances, adapting to the changing circumstances in this pandemic. Feel free to share with us your experiences and what you have found helps you and the positives and negative about working in nursing in a respiratory role.
I am encouraged that we are now on the trajectory to getting back to some kind of ‘normal’, and hopefully we have all developed some resilience which may be useful in the future. I have always enjoyed the ARNS conference and I am optimistic that, in May, we will all be able to meet up in person so please get the conference date in your diary now as something to look forward to. Here is to a better 2022.