NY Nurse April 2017

More than 300 nurses from across New York State gathered in Westchester County on March 28 for a day of leadership training. The goal of the program was to advance the practice of nursing and develop nurse leaders who can address the challenges of our time.

NYSNA President Judy Sheridan-Gonzalez, RN, kicked off the day with an overview of what’s ahead for healthcare, the labor movement, and working families. Nurses, she said, must stand united to protect our patients and our practice.

As frontline caregivers we always put our patients first — we come to work every day to provide the very best care for our patients and we know that safe staffing saves their lives. And we know that patient outcomes are worse when staffing is insufficient. But it’s not just patients that suffer from short staffing. Studies have shown a correlation between short staffing and increases in workplace violence. And that puts our nurses in jeopardy.

According to a 2014 study, more than 20 percent of all nurses and nursing students have been physically assaulted on the job.

As 2016 drew to a close, the Enhanced Safety Net Hospital Act — having passed both the Assembly and Senate unanimously — hit the wall. With uncertainties emanating from impending changes in Washington, Governor Cuomo decided to take no action. The Act died.

On January 12, 1912, at several textile mills in Lowell, Massachusetts, one of the most important events in the history of the Labor Movement in the United States took place. Twenty-three thousand workers, largely composed of women and children, in response to a sudden cut in pay, went on strike.

The AFL leaders at the time, as well as the bosses, had thought that the workers could never organize.