Frontline hospital staff abused, bullied for ‘spreading’ coronavirus

In a sickening side-effect of coronavirus, abuse and violence towards Queensland’s nurses and health workers has become so horrific that hospitals are now advising them not to wear their uniforms to work.

NURSES are being “egged” and abused by angry members of the public for “spreading” coronavirus, prompting hospitals to advise staff to stop wearing uniforms to work.

The “soul-destroying” treatment, which has also seen frontline workers refused takeaway coffee and harassed in grocery stores and on public transport, is a sickening side-effect of the COVID-19 crisis.

The bullying is widespread, with staff at the Princess Alexandra, Queensland Children’s, Prince Charles, Logan, Gold Coast and several Mater hospitals all reporting distressing incidents.

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Queensland nurses are being bullied and shamed by people who believe they are spreading coronavirus.

The Gold Coast, Cairns, Sunshine Coast, Wide Bay and Mackay districts have both warned staff to avoid wearing their uniforms outside of work because of the abuse.

Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles said he was disgusted and shocked that health workers would be targeted “at this particularly challenging time”.

“They have been vilified, they have been threatened, they have been treated abhorrently,” he said. “I want to call on every Queenslander if you see someone out and about in a Queensland Health uniform, they’re our heroes. They should wear their scrubs with pride – not fear they’ll single them out for abuse.

“They are people who go to work every day to take care of us, so thank them, don’t yell at them.

“We’re going to need every single one of our health staff to not just be well and to be at work, we need them to feel supported. “We’ve all got a role to play to make them feel supported.”

Shattered workers in both the public and private system have told The Courier-Mail of being “nurse shamed”.

“It is soul destroying,” said one registered nurse at Annerley’s PA Hospital who declined to be named for fear of losing her job.

“We’ve been told not to wear our uniforms anymore after three cases of nurses being egged while walking into work – we are the ones turning up every day to help people, yet we are being treated like lepers,” she said.

At the Children’s Hospital in South Brisbane, talk of COVID-19 related abuse is rife, with one medico confirming it is “openly discussed among nurses at handover and huddles; they are saying, ‘I was refused service for a coffee today’.”

A senior nurse in a Mater private hospital said colleagues had been “nurse shamed” when trying to buy groceries and one was “so humiliated she burst into tears”.

“The public have no idea what we are going through, they don’t care,” she said.

Over at the Prince Charles in Chermside, a veteran nurse in the emergency department said younger staff, in particular, were being victimised.

“Nurses have been given a very hard time, even those who have nothing to do with where COVID-19 is (being treated).

“They’ve been given foul looks, and one wore her uniform to the shops and this old fella had a go at her and said, ‘you’re spreading the virus’.

“Young mums who are part-time have picked up more shifts because their husbands don’t have jobs anymore yet they are copping abuse from people who are ignorant.”

She said all nurses were required to wash their uniforms after a shift and the lipids in detergent killed any trace of viruses.

The Courier-Mail can also reveal concerned messages shared in the 38,000-member private chat group, Nursing in the Time of COVID-19.

One said: “Best to not wear (your) uniform out or keep it covered when in public for your own safety. Not because you are infectious, just to save you from stupid people.”

Another said: “Staff travelling to work at Logan (Hospital) on the train have been accosted”.

And yet another: “There’s been issues at the Gold Coast as well.”

Mr Miles said health workers were heroes.

“They are people who go to work every day to take care of us, so thank them, don’t yell at them. We’ve all got a role to play to make them feel supported.”

Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union secretary Beth Mohle said she had been concerned by reports of frontline health workers being abused due to fears of COVID-19 transmission.

“Health care workers deserve respect more than ever,” she said.

Doctors and nurses overseas have been particularly vulnerable to developing COVID-19. Some have died.

Although some Queensland health workers have been infected with the virus, Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said none of them were believed to have contracted it as a result of their work.

Dr Young said health care workers wore personal protective equipment over their uniforms at work so “there is no risk to the community when they leave work in those uniforms”.