NYSNA Nurses Demand Healthcare Protection Amid Ongoing Actions

New York State Nurses Association nurses are demanding healthcare protection during their second week of action, which includes rallies from Manhattan to Brooklyn. They are advocating for safe staffing levels to ensure proper patient care and a fair contract, which is set to expire on December 31, 2025, affecting approximately 20,000 NYSNA nurses working at twelve private-sector hospitals.

The nurses' demands include reversing staff and service cuts that negatively impact patient care, enhancing safety and workplace violence protections, implementing guardrails on the use of artificial intelligence in patient care, and ensuring fair wages and benefits necessary for recruiting and retaining nursing staff.

According to tax filings, from 2020 to 2023, the total compensation for CEOs at major hospitals, such as Montefiore, Mount Sinai, and NewYork-Presbyterian, increased by over fifty-four percent. Notably, NewYork-Presbyterian's CEO, Steve Corwin, earned fourteen point six million dollars in 2023, equating to forty thousand dollars a day.

As these CEOs see substantial pay increases, NYSNA nurses are facing chronic understaffing issues, impacting their ability to provide quality care. Russell Pinsker, a registered nurse at Maimonides Health, emphasized the importance of adequate staffing, stating, 'We give 150 percent, and we need enough staff to do our jobs and provide the care that patients need.' The concerns are heightened by impending healthcare cuts from the Trump administration, which could result in New York losing four point nine billion dollars in federal funding, leading to an increase in uninsured residents.

NYSNA President Nancy Hagans criticized hospitals for prioritizing profit-driven ventures over patient care. The report highlights that while nurses were celebrated as heroes during the COVID-19 pandemic, their needs seem to have been overlooked post-pandemic.

City Council Member Mercedes Narcisse, herself a registered nurse, reinforced the message that without nurses, hospitals cannot operate effectively. Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso echoed this sentiment, noting that a world-class health system relies on its nurses.

In response to the ongoing actions, Maimonides Health expressed confidence that a contract agreement would be reached that supports nurses and the community's health needs. As negotiations continue, the voices of NYSNA nurses reflect the broader challenges faced in the healthcare sector, particularly in light of pressures heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic.