Q. It is likely I will be re-deployed to an unfamiliar practice setting during the COVID-19 outbreak. What should I consider when I get to the new unit?
A. Temporary re-deployment is a legitimate employer practice to ensure they can meet the needs of the clients they serve every day.
You and your employer have an accountability to ensure clients are receiving safe and competent care. It is also very important to note that a public health emergency is not usual circumstance. While in this unusual circumstance nurses and employers are accountable to work together to make the best decisions based on the information at hand, fully recognizing that the evolving situation may result in a different decision at a different time.
Nurses Accountabilities
There are elements of nursing knowledge and entry-level competencies that transcend to all client groups and practice. While you may not be able to carry a full client assignment in the unfamiliar setting, there are many things you can do competently within your individual scope of practice to support the care area.
Ask for a brief orientation to the new practice setting, an identified staff member, ‘a buddy’, to answer questions and negotiate your assignment based on the things you can do, versus the things you cannot. Recognize that in some cases your assignment may be to assist regular staff as they care for clients rather than caring for clients independently. This may be the case for an acute care nurse re-deployed to an ICU, for example.
Employer Obligations
Your employer has an obligation to:
- Provide staffing and resources and to ensure that nurses are supported to work within their role and scope of practice.
- Arrange for support for nurses re-deployed to unfamiliar practice settings.
- Assist nurses in understanding their expectations when providing care in an unfamiliar practice setting.
- Consider the competencies and qualifications of nurses or other care providers when making client assignments.
