NY Nurse: May 2019

The street names say it all — Goodfellas, Murder 8, Poison, Drop Dead, Serial Killer, TNT, among others.Fentanyl. It’s insidious and it’s a killer. In New York State, fentanyl has surpassed heroin as the drug of choice, leaving a trail of bodies from Suffolk to New York City, from Oneida to Erie. Identifying fentanyl abuse can be a matter of life and death.

On May 6, NYSNA nurses gathered in Albany to participate in their annual Lobby Day. The Safe Staffing for Quality Care Act topped the list of priorities. Nearly 20 elected members of the Assembly and Senate spoke at the luncheon, including Assembly Member Aileen Gunther, RN, sponsor of the Safe Staffing for Quality Care Act. “This is a matter of life and death,” she said. “Nurses have not received justice.”

Nursing has been a leader in job growth in New York State—both RNs and NPs are in demand. Between 2014 and 2024, the NYS Department of Health projects job growth for nursing to the tune of 7,500 annual openings.

This year, as in past years, hundreds of nursing students attended Lobby Day with the help of NYSNA. Our union actively promotes the funding of public universities and community colleges so that these exceptional young people will have educational opportunities and join our ranks. And as the graduates enter the workforce, NYSNA focuses on their needs going forward.

If you’ve been a member of NYSNA for fewer than eight years, you may not know our unique history. In 2011, an insurgent slate won a majority of seats on the Board of Directors. This revolution, led by a Rank and File Caucus, NY Nurses United, finally gave staff nurses a voice after 100 years of being silenced.