GASTONIA, N.C. — Nurses across North Carolina are anxious about their economic security as healthcare systems reduce hours.
Dr. Dennis Taylor, the president of the North Carolina Nurses Association, said members have told the group about their hours being cut or being offered reassignments.
"There's a lot of anxiety there," Dr. Taylor said. "Being somewhat afraid of what's going to happen to their jobs, to their hours and to their schedules."
Gaston County's CaroMont Health said it's facing a financial burden as the pandemic forced doctors to cancel non-urgent and elective procedures and appointments.
It's mandated every employee to voluntarily take paid time off or reduce their schedule by one shift per week.
Atrium Health says it's offering alternative assignments for its workers.
Neither system said it's done layoffs or mandatory furloughs.
Catawba Valley Medical Center in Cataawba County said it's cut pay for salaried workers and temporarily furloughed people in non-direct care patient areas and in management positions not directly related to the COVID-19 response.
Mike Hastings, the president of the Emergency Nurses Association, said across the country, emergency department nurses have had their hours cut because less patients are coming into the emergency room.
"Typically, we're hourly employees," Hastings said. "If we're not working, we're not getting paid."
It's why the ENA created a fund to help emergency nurses pay their bills.
For more information on ENA's fund, click here.
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