The government of our state has enacted a state of emergency law (or whatever) that allows the government to mobilize nurses employed by the city to hospitals to wherever they see a need within a city nursing home or hospital. My co worker who lives 15 minutes from me was mandated last week to a nursing home in East Harlem. I received my notice yesterday. As of right now I don’t know where I will be working next. This past week I was working at an enrichment center way up in East Harlem. I did so without complaint. To be perfectly honest I don’t want to work in a nursing home or a hospital. If I did I would be employed at one right now.
Being a nurse is not a one size fits all profession. You can’t just interchange people this way. Yes we’ve all received the same basics in nursing school but unless you practice in a particular area you aren’t always proficient in all skills and knowledge. I’m not against being a help to my city, not at all. I have skills that are in demand and I’m more than willing to put those skills to good use. However I am apprehensive about being placed in a work situation I am not familiar with.
Also, I’m made uncomfortable by the emergency announcement requesting nurses that was blasted over iPhones yesterday. The city of New York has already mandated hundreds of Department of education and department of health school nurses to work in city hospitals and nursing homes. Why aren’t our numbers counted as those that responded to the call? I’ve heard no mention.
Every city employed civil servant I know is doing their part during this terrible, frightening time in our lives. I thank God for every one of them, from the teachers, paras, OT/PT staff, my fellow nurses, police, fire department and every other hard working professional the city write a paycheck for.
Menay O; mom to 4, Christian and thrift shopper on the side... 