January 9, 2026 — In 1998 under the administration of former PEF President Roger Benson, PEF established the Nurse Organizer position, a full-time staff position responsible for organizing and empowering PEF nurses. Today, that position is called the Nurse Coordinator. Nora Higgins was the nurse coordinator for many years and has now retired.
PEF is now seeking someone to fill the position and is eyeing other PEF nurses who might be interested in traveling across the State to meet with members and advocate for their needs.
“This is a chance for someone to change things for the better for so many members,” said PEF President Wayne Spence. “Previous nurse coordinators, including Nora, have laid a strong foundation for the next coordinator. We have a chance to build power and strengthen a big portion of the union.”
The nurse coordinator position ensures that PEF nurses are heard and represented. A successful candidate will be a nurse and will help align the goals of the approximately 11,000 members of PEF who are nurses or work in a healthcare-related title.
Higgins played a key role this year in modernizing a common form used by nurses, called a Protest of Assignment or POA. POAs help nurses protect their license by putting them on the record when they’ve been asked to do something out-of-title or unsafe.
“We have been educating people about how to properly fill out a POA form digitally and how to give notice so that they can effectively protect themselves while still providing services,” said Higgins.
Higgins says her successor should expect to work with PEF’s other healthcare titles as well and should genuinely love to travel, as the work will take them all across New York State.
Debbie Egel is the Interim Regional Director of Field Services for PEF Regions 10-12. She is also a nurse attorney and has been working closely with Higgins and the Statewide Nurses Committee. Egel agrees with Higgins’ assessment of the ideal candidate and says the next nurse coordinator has big shoes to fill.
“This is a position that helps steer one-fifth of the membership. It is a big job that requires knowledge of nursing and knowledge about unions,” said Egel. “There is a lot to navigate, there are a lot of people to meet, but it is an exciting and challenging position. This is the ideal job for someone who wants a challenge. Nora was instrumental in setting up the POA database, she is very good at noticing and analyzing trends and can respond to criticism from fellow nurses. I look forward to making sure the next coordinator can pick up where she leaves off.”
Editor’s Note: PEF nurses who are interested in working for the union are encouraged to apply! To apply to any open PEF position, please visit the union’s Careers Page.