I propose that front line staff, specifically nurses, techs, and nursing assistants, receive a pay differential (double time) for the risk and stress that they are assuming. Once COVID-19 reaches a level of community transmission, hospitals in the area will experience a surge in patient census. This causes several things:

First, a ripple effect, where smaller hospitals have a harder time transferring critical patients to large city hospitals. This increases the number of critical patients in small emergency rooms.

Second, with President Trump's revocation of critical access designation, small hospitals across the country will now have to keep and treat more patients than their previous 25 patient limit. We've already seen this with hospitals setting up tents for the surge in patients.

Third, as COVID-19 becomes more common in a community, staff will fall ill and present nursing staff will not only be treating more patients, but they will be treating sicker patients with fewer staff.

President Trump, Congress, and others in power have proposed money for the cruise, hotel, and airline industries to help them during this crisis. How about we support the people assuming the most risk and fighting this on the front line?

Sign the petition to support nurses, techs, and nursing assistants during this crisis! Help us in making our politicians realize that federal emergency money needs to go to those on the front line.