Earle Haven: Nurses stayed to help at aged care home on Gold Coast after they were fired

Nearly 100 employees have been fired from the now abandoned Earle Haven nursing home after a shock workplace dispute.

NURSES at the now abandoned Earle Haven nursing home who were fired in a shock workplace dispute yesterday morning have been commended for their dedication to stay and help their patients.

It is understood over 90 staff members careers employed by HelpStreet were told they were no longer employed by the company and would not be paid.

Despite the news many chose to work through the night to assist the 70 elderly residents of the home.

The mass exodus from the facility by contractor HelpStreet was triggered by an ongoing contract dispute with the nursing home operator People Care.

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Earle Haven Retirement Village last night after residents were moved from the facility.

Others who had been off work for some time reportedly came into the nursing home to assist and make sure the residents had been fed.

According to Dr Jeremy Wellwood of Gold Coast Health it was the care of remaining staff who had helped speed up care during the transition of patients, helping government nurses and paramedics to locate some medical documentation that had been left behind.

“I don’t have the numbers but I would like to pay tribute to those staff, because they were in a very difficult situation,” Dr Wellwood said.

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“There were a number of staff in the Earle Haven nursing home that did stay, they put themselves out as individuals, and the reason they did that is they are healthcare workers.”

“These people have compassion, these people can see the frightful look on the patients faces and I am sure that is what drives people to work in health.

“We are so proud of how the healthcare community came together last night.”

Beth Mohle secretary of the Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union said the union was working with nurses of the facility about their accrued time and entitlements.

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Residents being moved from the facility overnight.

“Like residents and family, staff are the meat in the sandwich, the service provider had no regard for them — or the impact of the decision to exit on the residents or employees.

According to Ms Mohle some nurses who hadn't worked for months had arrived to assist.

“When we put up what was happening on social media a number of members put their hand up to come and help,” she said.

“Unfortunately the nature and generosity of care givers gets taken advantage of, and that is what the providers have taken advantage of.”

Yesterday afternoon the QNMU sought legal advice over action to ensure nurses will be paid for their full entitlements.

A HelpStreet employee who claims to have worked at the facility shared online said he was only informed about the closure when he arrived for his afternoon shift yesterday.

“Finding out that I was not employed anymore, I and my co-workers stayed and cared for our residents until they were all removed,” he posted.