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Nurse travels 35 hours by sailboat to treat coronavirus patients in New York City

Just a few months ago, ICU Nurse Rachel Hartley thought she would be a graduating nurse practitioner moving into a new home with her husband in their state of Virginia. Little did she know, she would actually be living on a boat in New York City while working on the frontlines with COVID-19 patients. In early April, Hartley was working as an anesthesia pre-op nurse in a Virginia hospital, but with elective surgeries being canceled, she was working fewer and fewer shifts until there were none. Meanwhile, the news of the devastation in New York City was unavoidable, and with years of ICU nursing experience, Hartley couldn’t shake the feeling that she could help. “The day that Governor Cuomo took away the need for a nurse to have a New York state license to practice here really hit me hard.” Hartley tells Yahoo Life, “I knew New York was in a dire crisis, and I thought, I need to go. I need to leave Virginia and come to New York City.” Hartley and her husband Taylor landed on an unconventional plan - they would sail their 50-foot sailboat from Virginia to New York and live on board during their stay. “To be able to bring our own house essentially on the water just seemed like a safe way to have a living space here in the middle of the pandemic.” Hartley shares. She connected with Patrick Overby, a nursing recruiter with Fusion Medical Staffing, and within a week of signing a contract with NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn, they were setting out on their 35-hour sail from Virginia to New York City. On her first day working in the ICU, cases were peaking and the hospital was overwhelmed with sick and dying COVID-19 patients. Hartley says not being able to allow loved ones to come and visit their gravely ill family members has been the hardest part. “When patients are dying, having to face time a family member to say goodbye, I mean that's something I never ever thought I would be doing.” Hartley shares, “I never want to have to do that again.” Hartley says the fact that their boat is so spacious has allowed them to bring other travel nurses who want to join in the same mission. An ICU nurse from Ohio, Tom Huling, is also working with COVID patients at the same Brooklyn hospital and living on board the boat. “It’s been emotionally tough but so rewarding at the same time,” Huling shares, “I always had wished that I’d gone into the military, and I think this is the closest I’ll get to serve my country in this kind of way. I’m proud to be here and proud to help this city.” Hartley’s husband Taylor is the captain of their boat Turning Point, and says that taking care of their home on the water is a full-time job, but one that he’s happy to do to help support the nurses on board. Hartley says none of this would have been possible without ONE15 Brooklyn Marina, which reopened their doors to host them free of charge. The Marina and their restaurants The Estuary and The Ebb & Flow Cafe, are also helping by raising money and feeding front line workers during the pandemic.

Video transcript

RACHEL HARTLEY: On the news, I had been seeing how desperately New York City needed ICU nurses. And I thought, I need to go. I need to leave Virginia and come to New York City. Thankfully, nursing is nursing wherever you go. To think that I would be living here on my boat, I would have not believed it if somebody told me. Never.

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So when COVID started, I was working in Virginia as an anesthesia pre-op nurse. And my hospital was slowing down because we were canceling all of our elective surgeries, so I just wasn't feeling needed there. And the day that Governor Cuomo took away the need for a nurse to have a New York state license to practice here, I knew New York was in a dire crisis.

My husband, Taylor, and I own a boat. So when we decided we wanted to come to New York City, you know, we were thinking maybe we could sail there. To be able to bring just our house, essentially, on the water seemed like a safe way to have a living space here in the middle of the pandemic.

It took about 35 hours to sail from Virginia to New York. When I got into the hospital, this city, and especially Brooklyn area, was peaking. So they just had an insane amount of patients that were extremely sick and dying from COVID. The boat being so spacious just gave us opportunity to bring other people along in the same mission to come and help.

TOM HULING: Rachel called me. She said, hey, do you want to come up to New York City and stay in our boat? And then I thought about it, and I was like, you know what, this is exactly what I want to do. And I've never set foot in New York City before ever, so like, getting to see this every day, I'm just spoiled, I feel like. And I'm proud to be here and helping this city.

RACHEL HARTLEY: One of the unique things about living on a boat is, you know, we all get to pitch in to help maintain and really make the vessel our own. It takes a lot because it's a house on the water. Taylor is the captain, and he's the one really kind of in charge of everything.

TAYLOR HARTLEY: Living in New York on the boat taking care of the nurses is a full-time job. Overall, though, it's been a total joy, and I love getting to be here and taking care of the crew while they're headed to the hospital each day.

RACHEL HARTLEY: I've been floored by the support of New York in general. I joined a Facebook group called Sailors of New York City. They had actually hooked me up with our marina, 115 Brooklyn Marina. They are letting us stay here free of charge. My contract with the hospital ends the beginning of June. And I would love to stay longer if they need help. To be able to impact a patient's family, impact a patient, impact the coworkers that I'm here with, especially the regular staff, that's made all the difference, and has made it worth it.

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