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The Fear of Being Fired as a Nurse During COVID-19

Numerous nurses are putting themselves on the line to care for COVID-19 patients worldwide. Putting up with long hours, little-to-no breaks, dwindling critical personal protective equipment (PPE), and the stress and worry of spreading this novel virus to their loved ones. Other nurses, on the other hand, are fearful of a different kind: unemployment.

How is it possible that nurses get laid off from their jobs in a world that hangs by the ragged threads of a nurse’s recycled PPE mask strings? How is it that nurses are being dismissed in the Year of the Nurse and Midwife, with New Yorkers practically yelling from the rooftops each night to celebrate nurses and healthcare workers (HCW)? According to widely published estimates, the nursing deficit will only worsen when baby boomers retire, yet nurses are unable to find jobs. How did this happen?

On the Backburner: Non-Emergency Healthcare

The straightforward yet difficult truth is that not all “necessary workers” are genuinely important. In early February, as the United States was only beginning to recognize the global outbreak of deadly COVID-19, the CDC issued recommendations to reduce or eliminate elective or non-urgent evaluations and procedures. This idea, to avoid unnecessary exposure to both healthy and weak individuals, had a domino affect on the healthcare staff in those locations. Clinics that do exclusively elective surgery have been closed. Only emergent discretionary diagnostics are conducted, such as mammograms and ultrasounds. One nurse and her plastic surgeon spouse were forced to close their aesthetics clinic and lay off their entire team.

Ideally, this is a brief halt. Yet it is yet too early to tell whether the shutdown’s ripples have wreaked havoc on healthcare systems and private practices, some of which may never recover. How long will it take for the country to heal physically and emotionally to the point where they are willing to risk relapse of COVID-19 while recuperating from an elective hip replacement? Nobody is entirely certain.

Nurses, meanwhile, are out of job.

Where Can Nurses Obtain Employment?

Organizations that continue to hire nurses often require full-time employees and specialize in areas such as long-term care, which may not be as tempting to a nurse who has spent the last decade injecting Botox and fillers. Another barrier to hiring nurses is that existing staff is covering overtime shifts, obviating the need for companies to hire new staff. During the 2008 recession, nurses performed multiple jobs at numerous healthcare facilities to compensate for laid-off husbands. Nurses flocked to departments to work the extra hours so frequently that there was never a need to hire from outside.

Nurses’ Tips Looking for Work

The healthcare industry is under strains unseen in our lifetime. While nursing is traditionally a recession-resistant career path, many nurses are finding themselves in unfamiliar territory. Here are some recommendations for surviving this storm:

1. Stay Connected: Contact recruiters and headhunter firms to ensure your resume reaches those still hiring.

2. Seek assistance: As a nurse, this is not a familiar or comfortable position; we are more at ease in the caretaker role. Inquire of your friends and social media contacts who is hiring and request a referral.

3. Consider reinventing yourself: Is an epidemic the ideal time to launch a career as a nurse writer? There is never a perfect time for any new endeavor, so think outside the box when it comes to personal protective equipment and attempt something new.

4. Add a credential or degree: Colleges are also rethinking how they give education, and online education is unquestionably the greatest option. Perhaps the best use of your time during this downtime is to obtain a certification or degree.

5. Get over yourself: It’s a long journey from the intensive care unit to a skilled nursing facility, but patients require staff. Consider pursuing a nurse career in home health, hospice, or rehabilitation. There is always space for improvement.

The World Health Organization foresaw this year accurately when it declared it the Year of the Nurse. Many are confronted with fires they never imagined in their lifetimes or careers. Too many people are living in dread and despair as a result of job loss in the midst of an international crisis. Maintain your strength, develop your resilience, and look for the silver lining in the midst of the storm.