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Charlotte Amalie
Friday, March 29, 2024
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Fired Nurses Informed on Public Assistance

The Department of Labor hosted a rapid response session Thursday for licensed practical nurses and certified nursing assistants who were laid off from Juan F. Luis Hospital last week.

“We give them information about unemployment insurance, their rights and responsibilities,” explained Prudence Tuitt, a Department of Labor representative. “They start that process today,” Tuitt said.

The session was held at Gertrude’s Restaurant and 44 of the 85 fired LPNs and CNAs crowded into the restaurant’s dining room for the morning session. Several more attended a second session in the afternoon.

The presentation was an hour-long crash course in public assistance, applying for unemployment insurance, and a slew of other safety net programs.

Chivonne Moorhead of the V.I. Housing Finance Authority offered advice to nurses concerned about losing their homes. She said her agency provides budget, credit, and debt management counseling as well as aid finding loans and refinancing mortgages.

Linnea Hector of the Department of Human Services gave the nurses an overview of the food stamps and cash assistance programs. Nurses peppered her with questions about eligibility requirement, to which she responded that the programs were controlled by federal guidelines and, as such, could be complicated.

“Everything is based on federal regulation. Nothing is set in stone. There are some changes and there are also some loopholes,” Hector said. “A person may be naturalized and not qualify. Or someone might be a green card holder and qualify. It depends on each household situation.”

The mood of the crowd was understandably somber. The only upbeat moment of the presentation came when Karen Jones of the V.I. Small Business Development Center addressed the crowd stressing optimism.

Jones said the day’s goal was to turn something seemingly negative into something potentially positive.

The SBDC provides free business counseling and training to small business entrepreneurs, and Jones encouraged the nurses to consider going into business for themselves rather than finding another job as someone’s employee.

She joked that being the boss provided a bit more job security, eliciting a smattering of sarcastic laughter from the crowd.

Jones specifically suggested the nurses explore areas of elder or special needs care. They could work independently, she said, or pool their resources and attempt to open their own nursing home.

Jones also suggested that this layoff could be an opportunity for them to get more training and pursue another career.

Overall she stressed the need to stay positive and continue to look for work.

“There are opportunities,” she told the crowd. “You just have to be creative.”

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