Nurses on strike at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester will no longer be entitled to unemployment benefits and in some cases may need to pay benefits back to the state, according to a ruling from the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance.
According to a notice shared by St. Vincent's Hospital, striking nurses will have their unemployment benefits fully discontinued effective the week ending Aug. 7.
Just last year when the pandemic first arose, nurses were considered heroes for being on the frontline during the health care crisis, but now, the narrative has flipped.
Not just here in New Bern, but across the country, nurses and aides who have more direct contact with patients are seeing an uptick in violence, verbally and physically, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
The violence isn't only because of the increase in COVID-19 cases, restricted guidelines of wearing masks or health care employees asking patients if they would like to be vaccinated. Majority of the time, the anger from patients or family members, forms in the lobby.
To combat a nationwide nursing shortage, University Hospitals is making changes about who will be caring for patients at their bedside.
To address an “urgent staffing shortage,” the hospital will transition some of its nursing staff in non-patient care roles to bedside care indefinitely.
The deadline for the vaccine mandate for healthcare workers has come and gone, and now the industry is dealing with the impacts.
Although there should be plenty of job opportunities, it has some nurses about to join the workforce feeling uneasy.
"We don't want job opportunities at the cost of someone else's career, but it is, as far as job prospects go for us, that seems very favorable," said nursing student Crystal Leslie.
Officials with the Missouri Nurses Association are hoping to help nurses have more information about the public health ethics surrounding getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
The discussion comes at a time when the deadline for many vaccine mandates is looming.
The association said they are planning a webinar to discuss the conflict between health ethics and the right to individual liberty.
Governor Larry Hogan on Thursday requested emergency legislation to address the nursing shortage in Maryland due to COVID-19.
He said the Maryland Department of Health issued a notice that out-of-state registered nurses (RNs) and licensed nurse practitioners (LNPs) can practice in Maryland.