NY Nurse August 2017

David! Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m an Advance Practice RN with a PhD in Health Administration. I work at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital in the Wound Center. I have lived in Plattsburgh since 1984 when I came up here to teach. I taught nursing at SUNY Plattsburgh for 20 years and just recently retired from teaching.

Congratulations! And how long have you been active with NYSNA?

In the past months, our union has displayed leadership in the protection of patients and their communities on every level. The onslaught against the Affordable Care Act, with a plan that would devastate healthcare for millions of families was an all-out attempt at undercutting healthcare in America while transferring billions of dollars to the richest people in our country.

RNs are well aware that disaster can come in many forms. Large-scale emergencies can be chaotic and traumatic, and healthcare facilities play a pivotal role as responders. Our workplaces must be well-equipped to meet the needs of patients, staff and the community.

The recent ransomware attack at Erie County Medical Center and the shootings at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital underscore the importance of having a comprehensive emergency preparedness program in place.

We are aware that there are certain subjects or conversations that are so uncomfortable to entertain that we avoid them completely—even when the tensions are high and the issue at hand is hanging over our heads like a dark, heavy cloud.

Having the conversation with your kids about sex; with an aging parent about a plan of care; with a relative who holds a different political point of view; with a spouse about stagnation in a relationship; with a coworker, neighbor — or even a friend — about race, religion and the state of the world.