NEW YORK NURSE: December 2007
by Rolando Tomas Infante
If there’s a perception that young nurses are apathetic about their role in organized nursing, Erin Guerriero, 29, a critical care nurse in the neonatal ICU at Columbia Presbyterian Children’s Hospital, certainly isn’t buying it.
“I don’t think that’s an accurate portrayal of young nurses,” said Guerriero. “I believe that there’s a general lack of knowledge, regardless of age, of what you can do to improve your working conditions. However, nurses overall want to learn to empower themselves and better their work environment.”
Guerriero is symbolic of her words. In addition to caring for the hospital’s smallest and most vulnerable patients, Guerriero serves as a NYSNA delegate in her LBU. She frequently works with NYSNA Nursing Representative Roberta Murphy and John O’Connor, a NYSNA organizer, to reach out to fellow nurses and educate them on their contractual rights and their role in their union.
“I see no difference between my union activism and my role as a nurse,” said Guerriero. “I became a nurse to make a difference and be an advocate and teacher for my patients and their families. I advocate for my fellow nurses, as well.”
Guerriero earned her nursing degree at Ocean County College and started her career at Community Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center in central New Jersey.
“I gravitated towards neonatal care because I loved the idea of taking care of babies,” she said. “Getting them off to the right start, at the beginning of their lives, together with their parents, in educating them on health preventive measures, is what I’ve always seen myself doing.”
Guerriero is currently working on a bachelor’s degree in nursing at Adelphi University. She hopes to use her degree to continue teaching and advocating on behalf of her fellow nurses within the union. “I feel that there is a need for nurses to demand that our leaders in Albany and Washington seriously address the healthcare crisis,” said Guerriero. “Not enough is being done to address the nursing shortage. The union provides an avenue to make our collective voice heard.”
Guerriero and O’Connor have been conducting “lunch-and-learn” sessions to inform Presbyterian nurses about upcoming contract negotiations and how to empower themselves through organizing. “We’re fighting the perception that some separate entity will fight for the nurses’ benefits,” said Guerriero. “This is simply not true. It depends on all of us to take responsibility and maintain a united front.”
In addition to her roles as a nurse and union advocate, Guerriero has traveled to Texas and North Carolina with Jen-Tien Wung, inventor of the neonatal bubble CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine. She teaches healthcare personnel how to use the equipment to save the lives of newborns in respiratory distress. She also teaches basic newborn care to male and female investment bankers at the Manhattan office of Morgan Stanley. Yes, this includes diapering.
Guerriero is preparing for her biggest journey next spring, when she’ll travel to West Africa with other nurses and doctors to help train local healthcare workers.
When asked how she balances her work, unionism, community service, school, international educational outreach, and marriage, Guerriero said two essential things keep her centered: “One, I have a comprehensive planner where I write everything down and keep it up to date,” said Guerriero. “Second, I practice yoga.”