Hospitals in Hawaii, primarily in Oahu and Maui, are urgently seeking nurses including recently nursing graduates to assist due to the influx of hospitalizations because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The state has waived licensing requirements during the coronavirus pandemic to allow new graduates to work in their scope of practice and to help provide support as coronavirus cases remain in the triple digits.

“We really need the help right now,” said Hilton Raethel, president and chief executive officer of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, a nonprofit that serves Hawaii’s hospitals, skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, home care and hospices.

Recent graduates are not necessarily being sought to work on the frontlines but rather supporting roles such as temperature screening or administrative work which will enable experienced and qualified nurses at hospitals to focus on COVID-19 patients.

Hospitals are seeking all nurses including spring and summer graduates from a licensed practical nurse program, associate degree or bachelor’s degree program in nursing and graduate entry program in nursing students who completed their prelicense year of education in August.

Nurses and recent nursing graduates who are available to assist are asked to complete a survery at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HRNVLM7.