NY Nurse April 2015

NYSNA joins with union sisters to celebrate International Women’s Day and recognize outstanding leadership

Union sisters from NYSNA, 1199SEIU UHWE, AFSCME DC 37, TWU, CSEA and others marked International Women’s Day on March 13 with a Red Carpet for Social Justice celebrating women’s achievements, culture, and contributions.

NYSNA members from throughout the New York City region were out in force on April 16 with a simple, powerful message to patients, the public and hospital management: safe staffing saves lives. Informational pickets ran from dawn to dusk at hospitals in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island and Westchester County.

More than a thousand strong, NYSNA members from across the state gathered in Albany on April 21 to meet, exchange ideas and speak with elected representatives to urge support of NYSNA’s legislative priorities, including paramount issues for us and the communities we serve: the Safe Staffing for Quality Care Act and the New York Health Act. These measures are critical to safe patient care, the protection of our professional standards and to the creation of a system of universal healthcare access.

“Recent events have led to a lot of us discussing the future of healthcare in New York State and the best way for nurses to stand up for our patients and for ourselves. We’ve seen a lot of changes, some of which have been detrimental to patient care and damaging to our profession. The future of healthcare should be decided by all the stakeholders — including the community and their caregivers.”

“That’s why I’m so proud to be here today with so many great nurses and caregivers — to do just that… I’m standing up for my patients and for our rights!”

The many contributions of Dr. John Lawrence Sullivan Holloman, Jr. to healthcare and civil rights were celebrated on April 18 at a ceremony where Congressman Charles Rangel co-named Harlem’s 135th Street near Madison Avenue in his honor. Dr. Holloman, who died in 2002, was the husband of NYSNA pension fund trustee Patricia Leo Holloman, RN, who worked at Mt. Sinai Hospital until her retirement in 2013.

As nurses, we know that a true commitment to the public’s health is founded upon equality, with a vision that sees root causes and takes action that is bold and effective.

The OneNYC Plan, announced by NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio last month, is an update of the city’s sustainability plan, a new plan to tackle income inequality and public health disparities in order to grow a more sustainable city for all New Yorkers. The plan’s broad and inclusive focus is very welcome news and a basis for bringing these issues together in a more comprehensive way.

It was a tremendous day for nurses and patients, a historic show of unity, with thousands of our nurses at 17 New York City and Westchester based facilities in rallies and informational picketing outside their facilities. The unprecedented joint action brought public attention to the urgent need for improved nurse and other caregiver staffing. Nurses know first-hand that staffing levels in several facilities fall far short of those set forth in professional peer-reviewed medical studies.

Our Lobby Day in Albany this year was a resounding success! Our nurses came together to speak truth to power — basic truths upon which the survival of our patients, our profession, and the very healthcare system in this state and country rely.

Truth #1: There’s a staffing crisis in our hospitals.