Mount Sinai System: patients Cannot Heal When Nurses are Stretched So thin

post-coVId, staffing has been a challenge across the Mount Sinai Health System . there are major staffing issues at Mount Sinai Main in oncology (related to rapid increase of program and poor retention), Maternal Child Health (due to unpredictability of births), and a stepdown unit (poor recruiting) . Nurses are pressing the hospital while doing their part to formulate short and longterm plans to care for themselves and patients . But one thing is crystal clear; patients cannot heal if their caregivers are overwhelmed and stretched thin . Noting that conditions are worse than they have ever been, Mount Sinai nurses and community leaders held speak outs on Dec . 6 and Dec . 15, 2021 . the speak outs were part of a broader series of rolling actions at facilities downstate . It is clear that staffing is an issue across the Mount Sinai system, but nurses all over the state are suffering due to staffing shortages . “In the last three months, we’ve only had 26 full-time nurses, versus the allotted 56 required for the recommended 2:1 nurse-to-patient ratio,” said Philipp Lee Carabuena, RN, and an NSICU nurse at Mount Sinai . “Nine travel nurses have been hired to fill the gap, which still leaves us 40% under capacity . Daily, we are taking on three to four patients due to the shortage . Nurses are often staying 24 hours to fill the gap . this is unsafe for our patients and a moral injury for hardworking nurses . ” the staffing shortage comes as Mount Sinai oversees $1 .7 billion in cash and liquid assets, and invests millions in advertising . Meanwhile, more than 300 nursing positions are vacant . this is not a new problem . All year, nurses have sounded the alarm about understaffing . While this year has been painful, there have been small victories . Read on to learn more .

rAys oF hoPe — vicTories

the Mount Sinai system was one of the few NYSNA facilities that permitted executive committees to verify the CoVID ppe stockpile . Access was granted after an aggressive campaign to get access . there have been numerous overtime incentives and recruitment incentives to improve the staffing levels on hard hit units . the results have been mixed with some improvements to staffing levels, although this is an area for continued focus . Mount Sinai Morningside/West held new Committee elections in May 2021 . over half the committee is comprised of new leaders eager to make an impact . For the first time in New York eye and New York eye history, management responded to NYSNA and agreed to convert one unit to flex time . Nurses at the New Jewish Home recently ratified an extension to their collective bargaining agreement that included pay increases and improvements to the experience scale . For the first time in over 25 years, nurses will experience an increase in their experience pay . In most instances the increase would be 50-100% higher than the previous scale . the experience scale at the New Jewish Home has not seen improvements for over 25 years . the largest issue at the New Jewish Home remains staffing and the new staffing law that comes into effect on 1/1/2022 . the membership agreed to the extension with the intent of increasing leverage during the required joint staffing meetings with management and 1199 . the extension contract will expire during the first quarter of 2021 .