‘I went into the job equipped with the knowledge and skills from my course work’
Meet Megan Sutherland, a third year BN Adult Nursing student here at Edinburgh Napier.
Throughout the pandemic, Megan has been working as part of the Test and Trace programme, contacting those who have tested positive for Covid-19.
We caught up with Megan about the experience to find out what it’s been like and what she’s learned.
Hi Megan, how did you get involved in the Test and Trace programme?
I think it is any nurse’s nature to do whatever you can to do your bit to help - and being a student nurse is no exception to this. There are many companies working for the NHS, facilitating the Test and Trace system. I was referred to one of these companies who then conducted the interview process with me. My student nursing experience greatly benefited me in the interview as I could demonstrate qualities such as compassion and my ability to work with people who are unwell and vulnerable. Since securing the job, I have been working on a four-day-on, four-day-off cycle, doing my bit to help in these unprecedented times.
Can you tell us what a typical day looks like working for Test and Trace?
The shifts are twelve hours long, 8am-8pm. It is an early start, but this is very similar to a day on a Nursing placement, so I am used to it by now! I log into my computer and ensure that everything is working correctly in plenty of time before my shift.
Once it hits 8am, the system will begin searching for records. A record is a positive case that has been identified by the Test and Trace programme. Often there are important notes left by previous Test and Trace staff members that are useful to read before you make a call - for example, whether the person requires a translator, if they are currently in hospital or a care home, or if there is a potential safeguarding issue. Once I feel that I am prepared, I will make the call.
All being well, contact will be made and I will be able to take the case through a contact-tracing questionnaire. Once I have completed the call, I will write relevant staff notes and finalise the process- contact tracing for this case is now complete.
Not every call runs smoothly, but we are prepared for every eventuality. Some examples that I have experienced personally include; aggressive callers, having to phone a next of kin of a deceased case, cases who refuse to cooperate with self-isolation and cases who present as a safeguarding concern.
Why do you think Test and Trace is important?
Contact tracing forms a web-like safety net, whereby the contacts of a positive Covid-19 case are also asked to self-isolate - essentially breaking the chain of infection from one person to the next. In turn, this allows us to track the rise or fall of national coronavirus numbers.
From our understanding of Covid-19, a positive case is infectious between two days pre-symptoms, to ten days post-symptom onset. Therefore, when contacted, a positive case will not only be asked to identify their whereabouts and contacts during the time they have felt unwell, but also for the time when they may have been unknowingly infectious - thus, potentially being an asymptomatic spreader.
We also follow up with wellbeing calls throughout a case’s isolation period. We do this to ensure that individuals are receiving the help and support that they need whilst in isolation, and if they aren’t then we have an opportunity to signpost them to this. This is essential to ensure that those who are vulnerable or in need of help are protected.
Finally, do you think your involvement in the programme complements your learning at Edinburgh Napier?
Being in the final year of my Nursing degree, I went into this job well-equipped with the knowledge and skills I had obtained over the last three years at Edinburgh Napier University. Both the theoretical and practical elements of my degree stood me in good stead to approach this job with the same compassion and delivery as I would in any patient-facing nursing role.
Huge thanks to Megan for taking us through the Test and Trace programme - wishing you all the best in your final year of study and beyond.