Reflecting on redeployment

During the first surge of COVID-19 cases, intensive care units (ICUs) were the hardest hit of clinical environments due to the prevalence and nature of the disease and the exceptionally increased demand for treatment (NHS England/NHS Improvement, 2020). One particular problem affecting staff wellbeing was the lack of properly trained ICU nurses available to care for such high numbers of patients, leading to increased psychological burden, anxiety and depression (Heesakkers et al, 2021). In order to support ICUs, redeployment of staff throughout the NHS was organised to ensure that critically ill patients received the life-saving treatments needed, while also aiming to optimise staffing ratios and improve staff wellbeing (Royal College of Nursing (RCN), 2020a). It is a requirement of my NHS role to undertake redeployment when necessary. As the pandemic took hold my colleagues and I were required to be flexible and to quickly adapt to an evolving situation, to learn new practical and theoretical skills, including a need to understand the fundamentals of ICU nursing.