NEW YORK NURSE: October/November 2007
by Rolando Tomas Infante
When a patient hears: “Hello! Welcome to Kings County Hospital!” accompanied by a big, bright smile, they know that they are in the comforting and caring hands of emergency room nurse Curlean Duncan-Britton.
When patients arrive , often in a vulnerable state, Duncan-Britton tries to be a reassuring figure. She pledges that the staff will do everything possible to bring patients back to health and not treat them as numbers.
Such consideration is welcome, because a truly overwhelming number of patients enter the hospital on a daily basis. In 2006, Kings County Hospital Center (KCHC) had more than 670,000 outpatient visits and more than 100,000 visits to the ER. This gives Duncan-Britton ample opportunity to dole out her greetings.
“I love the ER,” said Duncan-Britton. “It can get busy here. With that comes the excitement and drama that one can’t get any place else. I am seeing the latest medical technology applied here, as we were the first Level 1 Trauma Center in the U.S.”
Duncan-Britton takes great pride in taking care of her family, friends, and neighbors. For her family, this is nothing new. Her mother, also named Curlean, was a KCHC nurse who worked in the operating room.
“Nurses here refer to my mother as ‘Senior Duncan,’ and me as ‘Junior Duncan,’” she said. “I don’t mind it at all, since my love of nursing comes in large part from my mother.” Duncan-Britton was raised near the hospital and still lives nearby with her husband, nine-year-old daughter, and 13-year-old son.
“I think I may have another following in my footsteps,” said Duncan-Britton. “My daughter, a Girl Scout, is the unofficial school nurse. She takes care of her classmates if they hurt themselves, running to get a Band-Aid® when needed.”
Duncan-Britton started as a nurse’s aide at KCHC in 1986, working in the ER. In 1992 she became an RN, graduating from an associate degree program operated by KCHC and the College of Staten Island. As Duncan-Britton enters her 21st year in the ER, she is back at school, completing her degree for a BSN.
Early in her career, Duncan-Britton started asking questions about her work environment. When her questions went unanswered, she decided to take a leadership role and become involved with her local bargaining unit. “I started coming to meetings,” said Duncan-Britton, “and I gathered information I could write down for myself and my fellow ER nurses, who had similar questions.”
Duncan-Britton started to hear great things about NYSNA’s Convention: the opportunity to meet nurses from other facilities, attend workshops and seminars, and learn about new technologies. But because of staff shortages, many of her applications to attend were rejected — until this year. Four months ago, she was informed she would be able to experience Convention for herself.
“I was elated,” said Duncan-Britton. “I was happy to attend in my role as the vice president of our local bargaining unit. Many of my fellow nurses would have been looking to me to inform them of what transpired at Convention.”
Duncan-Britton said Convention gives nurses an opportunity to express their support for NYSNA and the association’s mission. “NYSNA is what we need,” said Duncan-Britton. “We nurses have to sacrifice, since nothing comes without the involvement of every nurse. We are the union and we must represent at all times.”
Duncan-Britton came back from Convention inspired and with a greater appreciation of her role as a nurse and an association member. “Convention was everything I expected and more,” she said. “I had a wonderful time. I laughed and cried, and I met interesting peers with whom I will stay friends. It should be mandatory for every nurse.”