During August, we are telling the stories of occupational health nurses who have come to the aid of the hard-pressed NHS during the coronavirus crisis. This week we hear from trainee OH advisor Lucy Beech.
I am a trainee occupational health advisor studying at The University of the West of Scotland. Before the lockdown began I gave birth to my son on 12 March and then continued my maternity leave blissfully unaware of what impact Covid-19 was going to have on the world.
However, as I saw the devastating effects of this disease unravelling I felt that, as a nurse, it was my duty to do something to help.
I was, naturally, concerned about working in hospitals, as I was recovering from a caesarean section and was worried how my newborn would cope if I transmitted the virus to him. I then saw the adverts reaching out for nurses with public health qualifications to become clinical contact caseworkers as part of the government’s “Test and Trace” programme.
As this is a home-based role, working for Public Health England, I felt I could safely contribute so applied straight away and offered to do this as an unpaid volunteer.
It’s only a small help to such a huge crisis but I feel proud to be helping in my own little way
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The training has been extensive, and rightly so, but there have been many barriers to overcome related to IT issues and login errors. However everything eventually came together and I have been completing two shifts per week.
It’s only a small help to such a huge crisis but I feel proud to be helping in my own little way. I will be ending my maternity leave earlier than planned to help with the complications that are expected for employees’ mental and physical health who are returning to work.
