Redeployment guide

Information on your rights if you have been asked to move from your normal clinical area due to COVID-19

As the disruptive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues, you may be asked to move from your usual or booked area of work.  

We appreciate that being requested to move from a clinical area you are familiar with (or have pre-arranged to work in) may not be ideal.  However, as a healthcare professional, you must ensure patient safety is always maintained, and sometimes redeployment to an alternative area is required.

It may be unreasonable to refuse the move if you have the relevant experience or skill set in the area you are being requested to move to or if the trust/client is offering you the appropriate training and clinical support in that area.

However, it would be reasonable to refuse the move if you are being asked to work in an area where you could be putting patients, or your registration/profession, at risk (such as allocation to an area outside of your scope of practice/ competencies without the appropriate clinical support).

If you are a registered nurse, nursing associate or midwife, there is an expectation within the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code that all registered practitioners should support redeployment in emergencies (e.g. COVID-19). However, you must additionally ensure that you recognise and work within the limits of your competence and speak out if the move may undermine your ability to follow the NMC Code.

If you feel the request to move is unreasonable, we advise you to discuss this directly with the person requesting the move (such as the nurse in charge, site manager or matron), to identify your concerns and to follow with a written statement for future reference.

Here is a quick checklist to help you make the right decision:

  • Are you competent to work in the area you are being requested to move to? If yes, you should (where reasonably practical) agree to move.
  • Do you have relevant skills that could be adapted to the area you are being requested to move to? If yes, you should (where reasonably practical) agree to move.
  • If you do not feel like you’re competent or have the relevant transferrable skills, you should:
    • Address these concerns with the senior person on duty (nurse in charge, site manager or matron etc).
    • Ask what your role and responsibilities would be and if it would it be possible to adapt to your competency, e.g. if being asked to move from a general nursing setting to a critical care setting, could you undertake tasks within your competency? (such as Level 1 care, assisting with observations, medications and transferring/discharging clinically stable patients with appropriate clinical support).

The key to navigating this situation is an open and honest discussion/negotiation. If the above can be agreed upon, it should be reasonable to move.

If you have any further concerns, we’re here to help. You can get in touch with your consultant or contact (within working hours) our clinical nursing team via email at clinicalteam@pulsejobs.com, who will be able to offer clinical support and advice.

Please note: If you have medical reasons for not undertaking work on designated COVID-19 units, please ensure you have completed our COVID risk assessment. This can be requested from your consultant.