Nurses urge all Australians to get vaccinated against COVID-19
Announcement posted by Australian College of Nursing 03 Jun 2021
The leading organisation representing the nursing profession, the Australian College of Nursing has written a letter directly to the country urging people to get the COVID-19 vaccination or register for it as soon as possible.
As the most trusted health profession, nurses play a unique role in the provision of care across the lifecycle.
Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN, CEO of Australian College of Nursing believes members of the community concerned about the vaccine deserve reassurance from Australia’s nurses.
“Nurses have seen first-hand the impacts of this virus, and we want to assure Australia that getting the vaccine as soon as you can is the right thing to do to protect yourself, your family and community from contracting COVID-19.
“We want Australia to know that we believe getting your COVID-19 vaccine is the best thing to do.
“We have written this letter to all Australia, explaining our reasoning, and hopefully to reassure those who aren’t sure about what to do. These are extraordinary times, and hesitancy is understandable, however, we must act on the facts of the day and protect ourselves as best we can,” said Adjunct Professor Ward.
A video of Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN, CEO of Australian College of Nursing reading parts of the letter, as well as a full transcript is available here: https://www.acn.edu.au/dear-australia
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AN OPEN LETTER TO AUSTRALIA
Dear Australia,
The Nurses of Australia are thinking of you in this uncertain time, brought about by the unpredictability of COVID-19; it has been tough for us all.
We constantly think about those we tested, cared for, and others we had to say goodbye to.
We held your hands, calmed your fears and told you what we knew.
We organised health teams, new systems of care, looked after the elderly and vulnerable, advised government on policy, trained staff and fought hard to deliver the best care we all deserve.
At times, we had to connect with you through plastic visors and full-length personal protective equipment, but we hope you know how hard we have worked, how hard this has impacted us personally and professionally, but most of all we hope you know how much we care.
We’ve seen first-hand and heard thousands of stories about how damaging COVID-19 can be. Many of us are left with unwanted lingering side-effects of the virus – symptoms we are just now starting to understand.
Last year, all we wished for was a vaccine to turbo-charge our fight and to get back to ‘normal’. And now we have it. Nurses vaccinate to care for you, ourselves and our loved ones.
Who will you vaccinate for?
We know many people are worried about the quality of the vaccines available, their potential side-effects and that no-one wants to be first. We understand. It is a scary time. However, we implore you to look at the facts:
- The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine was approved for use in Australia on
16 February 2021 following the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) rigorous assessment and approval process. This includes assessment of its safety, quality and effectiveness - The Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was approved by the TGA for use in Australia on 25 January 2021, after a rigorous assessment and approval process. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has been provisionally approved by the TGA’s for individuals 16 years and older
- As of late May 2021, there have been 4.2M doses given in Australia, and 493,000 people are fully vaccinated. 15% of the population has had one dose
- All health workers, airport and quarantine staff are being vaccinated to ensure they can serve the community safely
- Over 40,000 nurses and midwives have completed COVID Vaccination Training and Nurse Immunisation qualifications in the past six months. We are work-ready to deliver the vaccines safely to you
We have been there with you from your early childhood and adolescence. We immunised you against rubella and tetanus, mended your broken bones, saw you in emergency, in your homes and your schools, cared for you in intensive care, supported your family member living with a disability, and we have been there with you when you had to say goodbye to your parents.
We are here for you during this time as well.
With winter now here, we the nursing profession of Australia want you to know that getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is the best chance you have of protecting you and your loved ones.
Take it from us, from your nurses, get your COVID-19 vaccination as soon as you can.
Warmest regards,
Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN
CEO of Australian College of Nursing
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NOTES TO EDITORS:
The video and letter are available at: https://www.acn.edu.au/dear-australia
Interviews with Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN, CEO of Australian College of Nursing are available* via contacting Zadro:
Felicity Zadro, Managing Director, Zadro: felicity@zadroagency.com.au or 0404 009 384
Jessica Kauffman, Senior Account Manager, Zadro: jessica@zadroagency.com.au or 0400 433 182
Oakley Grioli, Senior Account Coordinator, Zadro: oakley@zadroagency.com.au or 0434 295 302
The following Nurse Leaders are also available for interviews please contact Zadro for availability:
Mr Anthony Dolan MACN
Ms Moira Noonan MACN
Mr Christopher O'Donnell FACN
Ms Robyn Quinn FACN
Ms Chrysta Bridge MACN
Dr Jennifer Weller-Newton FACN
Ms Nancy Arnold FACN
Prof Odette Best MACN
*Please note, Kylie is in lockdown in Victoria, and is available for phone or ZOOM interviews.
THE AUSTRALIAN COLLEGE OF NURSING
ACN are committed to advancing nurse leadership to enhance healthcare and strongly believe that all nurses, regardless of their job title or level of seniority, can be leaders.
By bringing together thousands of extraordinary nurses from across the country, ACN builds a strong collective voice for nursing and commands the respect and recognition the profession deserves.
ACN advocates on behalf of the nursing profession.
As a professional nursing organisation, ACN advocates at state and federal levels with Ministers and Health Departments and provides valuable insight and recommendations from a nursing perspective.
The expertise of ACN’s members helps to shape healthcare and aged care policies.
ACN is an accredited higher education provider for qualified nurses. As an educational organisation, ACN’s postgraduate, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and training courses are renowned for equipping nurses with further knowledge in their chosen specialty and extending their clinical skills.
ACN specialises in nurse leadership education, courses and workshops. ACN also develops customised education courses to meet organisational training needs.
Website: www.acn.org.au
Facebook: www.facebook.com/acnursing
Twitter: https://twitter.com/acn_tweet
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/australian-college-of-nursing/
ADJUNCT PROFESSOR KYLIE WARD FACN, CEO - AUSTRALIAN COLLEGE OF NURSING
Kylie Ward was born and bred in the outer western suburbs of Sydney. What she did not know then, was that she was destined to become one of the most influential health professional leaders of her country and a formidable, passionate advocate for health, women and equality.
Kylie serves as the CEO of Australian College of Nursing (ACN). She has led a program of transformation at ACN, turning around dwindling membership numbers to increase revenue by 24%, membership by 30% and double student numbers - all within three years.
She has done this by leading the ACN community to find their relevance through policy leadership and political and industry influence. ACN is now Australia’s beacon for nurse leadership, with the power to forever transform what we expect from healthcare.
She has established the Australian College of Nursing Foundation (ACNF) to support emerging leaders; launched Nurse Strong, which empowers nurses to look after their own health; promoted Men in Nursing; and has been instrumental in numerous policy campaigns from the removal of conversion therapy to the improvement of population health outcomes.
Kylie has served on Senate Inquiries and gave evidence at the Aged Care Royal Commission of 2019.
Kylie holds honorary academic appointments with five leading Australian universities and was ministerially appointed as a Director to ADHA (Australia Digital Health Agency) and NHMRC Health Translation Advisory Committee (HTAC) whilst holding numerous other board positions.
