Category: Workplace Issues

Lorie Brown, Nurse Attorney, of Brown Law Office, P.C. and EmpoweredNurses.org, interviews Doris Carroll, President of Illinois Nurses’ Association and founder of Nurses Take D.C., to discuss the recent Nurses’ Strike in Illinois including Safe Patient Limits, Mandatory Masking, PPE for Nurses, and COVID Hazard Pay. Also discussed is the mission of Nurses Take D.C. and how to help get […]

Not long ago I wrote about the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) filing a court claim against Montefiore Medical Center for failing to have proper PPE to reduce the risks of its member nurses contracting COVID-19. The union specifically demanded that Montefiore Medical Center (1) increase the number of PPE available to nurses including respirators and gowns, (2) provide […]

When COVID-19 first erupted, nurses showed up to the University of Illinois Chicago Hospital to care for affected members of the community in their great time of need.  The nurses risked their lives and those of their families to be at their job while the rest of us were in lock down. A week ago, when the union contract at […]

Employment law was constructed out of a master/servant relationship.  There are very few instances where you can sue for wrongful termination.  Those are limited to discrimination against sex, age, race, and religion.  However, under the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC), sexual harassment in the workplace is a form of sexual discrimination which is protected. Unfortunately, sexual harassment against nurses is […]

Erin Marie Olszewski is an Army combat veteran who served our country on the front lines in Iraq during Desert Storm.   Earlier this year, as a nurse, she traveled from her Florida home to work at Elmhurst Hospital in New York to work on the COVID unit. Having worked in an ICU COVID unit in the Sunshine State, she was […]

Years ago, when I first realized that I wanted to be a nurse, my parents thought that was great and told me, “Oh, you will always have a job.” At the outset of my career, I had 7 interviews and 7 job offers.  Unfortunately, with COVID, that is not the case at this time.  As hospitals continue to lose revenue, […]

The New York State Health Department and 2 hospitals were served with 3 lawsuits alleging they failed to protect healthcare workers and the public. The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) is a union and advocates for nurses for safe staffing, professional pay and benefits and a voice in patient care. The lawsuits claim that the Department of Health and […]

I find it incredulous that many nurses in New York and London have been wearing garbage bags because of the lack of protective garb.  It is beyond appalling that nurses are having to resort to this questionable protection. Click here on NEW YORK CITY and LONDON to read more. The United States is a wealthy nation and should be able […]

In this international pandemic, can we fathom how many of our professional sisters and brothers we are going to lose? I am appalled at hospitals which are requiring nurses to work without personal protective equipment (PPE).  Prior to this outbreak, the CDC regulatory requirement was for a healthcare provider to wear an N95 mask which would be disposed every time […]

It’s okay to be afraid.  It’s okay to be scared.  It’s okay to be worried.  It’s okay when you come home to wonder whether you will be carrying the virus on you to cause you or a family member to fall ill.  These and many other concerns are all legitimate.  You are not alone.  We all think about these things. […]