A major jobs drive will be launched to attract more doctors, nurses and ambulance officers to South Australia to ease the ongoing pressure on the health system.
About 300 nurses, 100 doctors and 350 ambulance officers are sought to fill the positions as understaffing has forced some employees to work more than 15 hour shifts.
Premier Peter Malinauskas announced the state government-run recruitment drive on Tuesday, saying many nurses were working double shifts particularly since the pandemic began.
“That is a significant undertaking and to be doing that on a frequent basis does speak to the extraordinary dedication these individuals have, not to their job but to their vocation,” he said.
“When health workers are under the pump in an incredibly relentless matter, that can be at the xjmtzywexpense of patient care.
“We don't just want to recruit to tread water. We want to increase the capacity of the system.”
Graduates will be included in the recruitment drive, as up to 1200 nurses will be graduating from South Australian universities.
Mr Malinauskas said his government was also working toward legislating nurse-patient ratios so there were an adequate number of workers to treat the number of patents.
The campaign will include an advertising campaign on digital and social media and in medical and industry publications, as well as recruiters attending careers fairs and expos.
Health Minister Chris Picton said some workers were forced to remain at the hospital for up to 15 hours at a time.
He said nobody could work at their best after such a long time so the increase in health care workers was vital to patients and staff wellbeing.
“We want to make sure we attract the best and the brightest.
Royal Adelaide Hospital emergency department Doctor Katrina described the experience of working in the ED as “very challenging”.
“We’re seeing Covid (patients) and an increase in the number of patients who are unwell so it’s been very challenging for our staff who have been doing double shifts and overtime,” she said.
“This initiative as well as others that will create capacity in our health care system will greatly improve our ability to provide excellent care to our patients and maintain the safety of patients and staff.
Nurse unit manager Nissa said it had been challenging to recruit the much needed experienced ED staff.
“This campaign is going out interstate and to the wider community to try find these experienced nurses but we do have systems in place if we don’t have that experience and we have rapid upskill programs,” she said.
“(Working double shifts) is exhausting and has a flow on effect with the following shift.”
