Northern Ireland

Co Antrim lecturer donates healthcare assistant wages to coronavirus testing

Co Antrim lecturer Jacqui McAllister has signed up to work as a healthcare assistant at weekends in the fight against Covid-19
Co Antrim lecturer Jacqui McAllister has signed up to work as a healthcare assistant at weekends in the fight against Covid-19 Co Antrim lecturer Jacqui McAllister has signed up to work as a healthcare assistant at weekends in the fight against Covid-19

A Co Antrim lecturer who has signed up to work as a healthcare assistant at weekends in the fight against Covid-19 is to donate wages earned for the work to a coronavirus testing fundraising appeal.

Jacqui McAllister, from Carnlough, works as a Health and Social Care lecturer at Northern Regional College, but when the Covid-19 pandemic arrived she stepped forward to play her part on the front line.

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The mother-of-one, who teaches full time in the College’s Newtownabbey campus, joined dozens of students from the college who have also become healthcare assistants in hospitals, nursing homes and in the local community.

The lecturer, who has a Masters in Public Health, got in touch with a recruitment agency and before she was allowed to work had to complete 23 online modules, get references checked and Access NI clearance. She then completed her first shift in a Covid-19 ward at Antrim Area Hospital.

While still working as a lecturer Monday to Friday, delivering classes and online support to her students, Jacqui is now also completing 13-hour shifts at the weekends at the hospital.

As a result, she is also having to live separately from her family as she has to self-isolate.

Speaking about her decision, Jacqui said it was "only right" that she play her part.

"How could I teach my students about compassion and courage if I wasn’t prepared to do it myself?," she said.

"We’re all in this together and, by stepping up myself, I hope I’m modelling best practice to my students. With so many of them working on the front line, it’s only right that I should do the same".

"It’s a frightening situation to be in. I’m frightened, but the patients are also frightened. Some of them are very ill and their families cannot visit them, so we sit with them, hold their hand and talk to them.

"It’s not for everyone and it can be very emotionally draining, but there is great support from the nurses and all the other staff".

The lecturer also revealed that she plans to donate payments for the healthcare work to Ulster University’s COVID-19 testing fundraising appeal.

"As we’ve seen in recent weeks during the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare staff really are at the front line, providing care and support to the most vulnerable people in our society," she said.

"By equipping our students with the necessary skills to provide the best possible care, they really can transform lives".