For Immediate Release
Photo opportunity: Nurses call for tough penalties outside Mount Kisco court
Contact: Erin Silk: 518.782.9400, ext. 224
MOUNT KISCO, April 11, 2012 – Douglas Kennedy, the man who assaulted two Northern Westchester Hospital nurses, is headed to court – and nurses will be there demanding he face the full legal penalty at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 12 at 40 Green Street in Mount Kisco.
“Anyone who assaults a nurse should face the full penalty of the law – no matter their social status,” said Donna Hemmer, RN, a member of the New York State Nurses Association. “As nurses, our job is to look out for the well-being of our patients. We need to know that the law is looking out for us.”
When Kennedy attempted to remove his son from Northern Westchester Hospital before he was discharged, nurses intervened to protect the infant. Kennedy met them with physical force – going so far as to push one nurse to the floor.
The nurses were attempting to enforce hospital policy, which prohibits the unauthorized removal of newborns before they are discharged.
“We support nurses who stand up for their patients, whether they are Nurses Association members or not,” said Hemmer. “These nurses did the right thing. The system should now do right by them.”
More than 2,500 nurses signed a petition demanding that the Westchester County district attorney charge Kennedy for assaulting a nurse while on duty – a class D felony under New York State law.
The New York State Nurses Association is the voice for nursing in the Empire State. With more than 37,000 members, it is New York’s largest professional association and union for registered nurses. The association represents registered nurses, and some all-professional bargaining units, in New York and New Jersey. It supports nurses and nursing practice through education, research, legislative advocacy, and collective bargaining.
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