Former Warrnambool woman's heartfelt plea: get vaccinated

Tabatha O'Sullivan-Kirchner is a clinical nurse specialist in the Melbourne Royal Hospital emergency department.

"Being a healthcare worker during COVID-19 has been a very challenging experience on both a physical and emotional level," Miss O'Sullivan-Kirchner said.

"My colleagues and I have battled through the past 18 months wearing PPE almost all of this time, feeling dehydrated and exhausted as we cover staffing shortages and work overtime to make sure there are enough of us to care for patients both with and without COVID-19."

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Miss O'Sullivan-Kirchner said she had cared for a high number of critically unwell patients over the past six years in the emergency department.

However, she said nothing compared to caring for patients with COVID-19 who were struggling to take a breath.

"You feel helpless and just wish that you can turn back time for them," Miss O'Sullivan-Kirchner said.

"Seeing my friends and colleagues contract COVID-19 last year was also an eye opener - that could have been me."

Miss O'Sullivan-Kirchner said the situation had become more dire in 2021.

"Last year, we would see people with COVID-19 who were well enough to be managed at home and able to overcome the virus without spreading it to others; we would only have two or three COVID-19 positive patients in the emergency department per shift," she said.

"This year, we see a single case spread through entire households and communities in the blink of an eye, with up to 20 people in the emergency department at a time from all age groups with COVID-19; many who need to stay in hospital for oxygen or be put on life support.

"Unfortunately, some of the patients I have seen have not been fortunate enough to make it back home to their families, sadly passing away in hospital.

"My first COVID-19 death really hit home and it's only going to get worse."

Miss O'Sullivan-Kirchner said she could not stress enough the importance of getting vaccinated.

"COVID-19 is spreading through families and communities like wildfire," she said.

Miss O'Sullivan-Kirchner said the majority of patients presenting to hospital had not been vaccinated.

"I personally have not cared for a patient who has been vaccinated," she said.

"Most patients have an entire family at home who are all positive and unvaccinated.

"Last year, we were fearful that we may contract the virus and take it home to our families, despite the relentless wearing of PPE."

Miss O'Sullivan-Kirchner said she and her colleagues felt safer now they were vaccinated.

"We feel safer at work, we feel safer going home to our families, and we feel safer in our communities.

"We can look at our COVID-19 positive patients and think - if I am going to get COVID-19, I will not be this unwell and I am significantly less likely to pass it onto my family and friends.

"These principles apply to everyone in the community. You don't know when you're going to come into contact with a positive case - wouldn't you want to do everything that you can to protect yourself and your family?"

Miss O'Sullivan-Kirchner said she wanted to be able to safely see her family back in Warrnambool again, including her mum Gwenda O'Sullivan and dad Mark Kirchner.

She also has three nephews she misses dearly.

Miss O'Sullivan-Kirchner said everyone should do their part to keep the community safe.

"We have patients in our hospital who are begging us for the vaccine whilst struggling to breathe, wishing that they had got the vaccine when they had the opportunity," she said.

"Don't let this be you. Once you have COVID-19, it's too late."

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