A Black Lives Matter protest more accessible to those in the disabled community is being organized for next Friday in Portsmouth.
Last month, hospitals across New Hampshire announced they were raising their wage floors as part of a “market adjustment” to stay competitive amid a labor shortage by offering a minimum $15 to $17 an hour.
But that’s only part of the story. Most registered nurses already get paid roughly twice as much as that, and third-party staffing agencies commissioned by local hospitals are now offering up to $200 an hour for travelling nurse rates.
A total of 5,862 health care workers have contracted COVID-19 in New Hampshire since the pandemic began, 87 have been hospitalized and 10 have died, according to state statistics.
But that hasn’t stopped a vocal group of nurses and others in the medical industry from loudly objecting to vaccination requirements, even at the risk of losing their jobs.
New Hampshire has long grappled with a shortage of qualified nursing professionals, an issue that has been laid bare by the strain of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the health crisis, Gov. Chris Sununu has issued several orders aimed at helping shore up the gap, including one that made some nursing students eligible for temporary licenses to aid with the state's COVID-19 response, and another that provided $300 per week stipends to health care workers.
Now, the governor is trying to provide another incentive to bring health care professionals to the state and encourage local graduates to stay: Expanded student loan repayment.
ParentingNH
Kaylie Stewart of Londonderry is a registered nurse at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Courtesy Photo
With New Hampshire schools closed and remote learning continuing through the end of the school year, parents are juggling more now than ever. And it’s tougher still for those essential workers who must commute to their jobs at hospitals, police stations, grocery stores, banks or newsrooms. Some receive hazard pay and protective equipment for their work, while others do not. Not only are they potentially exposing themselves to COVID-19, but they worry about introducing the virus to their families.
While working on the front lines is par for the course in professions such as health care or law enforcement, it’s new territory for others. Even for those professionals used to working during a crisis, COVID-19 brings with it new challenges and fears.
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