Due to COVID-19, many health care facilities in North Carolina, particularly long-term care facilities, are seeking to urgently hire staff for temporary, part-time or full-time roles. There is an urgent need for Registered Nurses and Certified Nursing Assistants, among other roles to supplement current workers and in some cases fill in for workers affected by COVID-19.
"A crucial part of our response to COVID-19 is bolstering the health care workforce so we can respond to outbreaks as soon as possible," said Ben Money, Deputy Secretary for Health Services. "The East Carolina University School of Nursing is partnering with us to match health care workers with the ability to pick up extra shifts to facilities in the nurse’s local area."
Interested health care employees with the ability to pick up extra shifts or who may have been laid off from facilities and are seeking full-time roles can register at https://nc.readyop.com/fs/4cjq/697b.
A volunteer team at the ECU School of Nursing will match individuals interested in these opportunities with facilities needing staff. A member of the ECU team will contact potential employees if a facility has an immediate staffing need that matches the geographic preferences and qualifications.
RNs and LPNs with out-of-state licenses or students eligible for graduation are also able to work under certain circumstances. The Board of Nursing website has more information.
The facilities will be hiring these staff directly. The state of North Carolina is only matching interested health care workers with facilities that have staffing needs.
This effort is separate from other efforts the NC Department of Health and Human Services is undertaking to supplement the health care workforce throughout the state. This includes:
- Seeking volunteers for both clinical and non-clinical health care roles through the State Medical Response System. Volunteers must sign up through NC TERMS at terms.ncem.org.
- Partnering with Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC) and the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (NC AHEC) for to assist local health departments with contact tracing. Anyone interested in contract tracing can visit CCNC’s website to learn more.
- Recruiting staff to work at state facilities operated by NCDHHS’ Division of State Operated Healthcare Facilities. Interested applicants can apply online for the following positions:
- Nurses (registered and graduate nurses)
- Heath care technicians