nurse New York
New york state edition march 2022
Women: We Make the World Go Round
Michelle Jones, RN
NYP-Hudson Valley Hospital Nurses Ratify First Union Contract, p. 11
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New York Nurse march 2022
This Women’s History Month, We Should Celebrate and Continue Fighting for Change
By Nancy Hagans, RN NYSNA President
Advocating for patients. Advancing the profession.SM Board of Directors President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN nancy.hagans@nysna.org First Vice President Judith Cutchin, RN, MSN judith.cutchin@nysna.org Second Vice President Marion Enright, RN marion.enright@nysna.org Secretary Nella Pineda-Marcon, RN, BC nella.pineda-marcon@nysna.org Treasurer Jayne L. Cammisa, RN, BSN jayne.cammisa@nysna.org Directors at Large Matt Allen, RN, BSN matt.allen@nysna.org Reginalt Atangan, RN reginalt.atangan@nysna.org Marie Boyle, RN, BSN marie.boyle@nysna.org Seth B. Dressekie, RN, MSN, PMHNP, BC seth.dressekie@nysna.org Flandersia Jones, RN, BSN, MPH flandersia.jones@nysna.org Michelle Jones, RN, MSN, ANP-C michelle.jones@nysna.org Sonia M. Lawrence, RN, BSN sonia.lawrence@nysna.org Benny K. Mathew, RN, MS, CCRN, CEN, SCRN benny.mathew@nysna.org Ari Moma, RN, MSA ari.moma@nysna.org Jean Erica Padgett, RN jean.padgett@nysna.org Regional Directors Southeastern
Bruce Lavalle, RN bruce.lavalle@nysna.org
Southern Aretha Morgan, RN aretha.morgan@nysna.org Central
Catherine Dawson,RN,CNOR,MSN catherine.dawson@nysna.org
Lower Hudson/NJ Cynthia Caruso, RN cynthia.caruso@nysna.org Western
Steven Bailey, RN steven.bailey@nysna.org
Eastern
Bill Schneider, RN, CCRN bill.schneider@nysna.org
Editor Jennifer R. Farmer Executive Editor Pat Kane, RN, CNOR Executive Director Editorial offices located at: 131 W 33rd St., New York, NY 10001 Phone: 212-785-0157 Email: communications@nysna.org Website: www.nysna.org Subscription rate: $33 per year ISSN (Print) 1934-7588/ISSN (Online) 1934-7596 ©2022, All rights reserved
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arch, as you know is Women’s History Month. It’s a time to honor the contributions of women and celebrate those who made it possible for women to thrive. But if we embrace this month’s feel-good moments without examining the challenges women still face, we will have missed the mark. Women’s History Month was born of tragedy. On March 25, 1911, 146 women were killed when the Triangle Shirtwaist Company Factory burned. The fire was largely preventable. Many women would have survived had the company implemented basic safety features. What’s more, it is reported that building owners locked the doors to the facility to prevent union workers from organizing workers. In a desperate attempt to escape the blaze, many women leapt to their death. These women, much like workers today, labored in unsafe conditions. Such conditions disproportionately impact women, immigrants and women of color. In the same way that the employer resisted safety features, far too many employers today, healthcare companies and otherwise, allow workers to slowly perish rather than implement common-sense reforms that would keep workers and community members alike safe. By implementing appropriate staffing, supporting workers’ right to organize, paying competitive wages, and improving overall working conditions, employers can support women, and by extension, entire communities.
Maximize the Moment If we do not use this moment to highlight the persistent challenges women face, we will have missed the mark. For instance, March 8 is Equal Women’s Pay Day. It’s the day that women’s earnings caught up to what men earned in 2021. Yes, wage inequity persists. In fact, Pew Charitable Trust found that “In 2020, women earned 84% of what men earned.” And Stanford University found that “Throughout much of the 20th century, the average woman earned
for the elimination of barriers that complicate the lives of far too many of our sisters, friends, mothers, grandmothers, daughters, aunts and loved ones. For healthcare professionals, one of the most daunting aspects of providing care is understaffing. Understaffing places undue burdens on women and communities, including patients and workers. Short staffing is not a function of chance, but the result of willful choices by hospital administrators. It also wasn’t caused by COVID-19, but instead, COVID-19 exemplified a problem that had long been festering.
Nurses Deserve Better
Triangle Shirtwaist fire procession
about 60% of what the average man earned. Starting in the late 1970s, there was a substantial increase in women’s relative earnings, with women coming to earn about 80% of what men earned.” They note that the gap has remained largely unchanged since 2005.
Disproportionately Impacted But it’s not just the money. Social injustices have an adverse and disproportionate impact on women. The UN noted that climate change will aggravate women and add to their vulnerability. For instance, women suffer disproportionately due to the climate crisis. Women are more likely to be displaced and more likely to experience genderbased violence when natural disasters and climate emergencies occur. Additionally, 70% of the 1.3 billion people living in poverty are women. “Women represent a high percentage of poor communities that are highly dependent on local natural resources for their livelihood, particularly in rural areas where they shoulder the major responsibility for household water supply and energy for cooking and heating, as well as for food security.” The climate crisis threatens the natural resources that women have come to rely. This is a moment to celebrate, yes. But it’s also a moment to advocate
Karen Lam, RN, described it this way, “We cannot continue to be stretched so thin. Nurses deserve better. Patients deserve better. I am tired of feeling like a bad nurse when in reality, it’s bad working conditions. When you give me all these responsibilities to carry on my back, you then cannot blame me when my back begins to break.” And this is not about women coming together. Every day, in hospitals and health systems across the country, women come together. Unions are synonymous with solidarity and uniting is a core value for NYSNA. This care and concern for fellow nurses was on full display at a Department of Health (DOH) Public Health and Public Health Planning Committee hearing on January 27 in Albany, New York. When a last-minute switch changed the meeting venue from NYC to Albany, NYSNA members in the Capital Region (including Sandra Baldeo, RN; Jaimie Alaxanian, RN; and Dawn Zipp, RN, for delivering) delivered testimony on behalf of their Long Island member colleagues. I know that women are often asked to do more with less. Our history indicates that we know how to do this well. But it’s time to stop putting bricks on the back of the people who make this society churn. This year, employers should not celebrate women if they are not improving working conditions that stress and harm women. They know what to do. It’s time they do it.
NEW YORK NURSE March 2022
Staffing Law update
Multi-Union Staffing Symposium Characterized by Hope and Unity
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here are two words that characterize the Multi-Union Staffing Committee Symposium; unity and promise. When NYSNA joined 1199SEIU, CWA, DC 37, PEF leaders and more than 500 participants at the first Multi-Union Staffing Committee Symposium on January 28, there was a palpable sense of unity. Unions have a history of forming coalitions around budget negotiations, electoral work and even climate justice work. But this is the first time we’ve formed a coalition across facilities and unions. We are uniting people on the ground for an issue that impacts all and will help all. Healthcare workers appreciate unity and eagerly mapped plans at the gathering to ensure implementation of the hospital staffing law. While each union has waged individual fights to bring the law to fruition, it is remarkable to work collaboratively. In our union advocacy work, we do not always get the opportunity to come together.
A Sense of Hope But in addition to unity, there was a sense of promise in the air. In one of the first moments since the pandemic began, healthcare workers seemed enthusiastic about the potential for relief as the staffing law moves closer to implementation. One of the things that came up over and over again is that regardless of a healthcare worker’s specific position, short staffing is a widespread challenge. Participants maintained that the historic staffing law would positively impact all workers, regardless of their assignment, as well as patients and communities. This belief led many to conclude that the future held promise. NYSNA’s President Nancy Hagans seemed to agree when she shared with me, “This is a historic moment. Coming together under one campaign is inspiring.” Todd Hobler, Executive Vice President of 1199’s Upstate Division, seemed to echo that sentiment, and noted,
“Today is the starting point of historic collaboration to win better staffing at all our hospitals.” In fact, the staffing law, passed by the legislature in June 2021 and signed into law the following month, applies to ALL direct care workers in ALL hospitals in the state. It is an opportunity for collaboration with healthcare workers regardless of their union status; non-union workers will observe staffing levels in union facilities, and vice-versa. This will present an opportunity to engage healthcare workers on the merits of collective bargaining. And in case anyone forgot, the purpose of our work is to ensure the best possible outcomes for nurses, patients, and communities. The symposium allowed attendees to really sit with the reason we are in this work in the first place: l Ensure safe staffing l Achieve a robust system of enforcement l Use the law as a “tool to fight” l Unite around a common plan l Secure a safe workplace for all workers l Develop stronger solidarity amongst all healthcare workers
Clinical Staffing Committee The law establishes a clinical staffing committee at every hospital in New York State. It calls for a staffing plan for each hospital and mechanisms to respond to staffing concerns. What’s more, there is room for all healthcare workers from different disciplines to serve on the committee. The labor side of the committee is made up of RNs, LPNs and direct care workers. At least 50% of a facility’s committee is comprised of labor; an opportunity for workers to choose workers.
set for the entire patient care team. Staffing plans must be adopted on July 1, 2022 and implemented on January 1, 2023. The next plan would be adopted July 1, 2023 and implemented January 1, 2024. The law empowers the New York State Department of Health to levy fines against employers.
By Pat Kane, RN NYSNA Executive Director
Extraordinary Opportunity Failure to follow the law, comply with it, reach consensus, share updates and amendments are subject to DOH review and fines. That includes DOH entering hospitals to carry out first-hand the investigations. Fines could be up to $5,000 per violation. To be effective, we really need the Department of Health to be an activist agency; this is the only thing that will keep workers and patients safe. By October 31, 2024, a panel of nine sitting on an advisory commission (three from each of nursing practice, unions and hospital representatives) will make final a clinical staffing law. “This is an extraordinary opportunity to work with fellow workers to establish staffing ratios which protect nurses and healthcare workers and ensure quality care for patients,” Hagans told me. There is much to look forward to and we can move forward if we continue to operate in unity.
The staffing law, passed by the legislature in June 2021 and signed into law the following month, applies to ALL workers in ALL hospitals in the state
Other Requirements Clinical staffing plans must be drawn up for each care shift based on the needs of patients and staff, with “specific guidelines on ratios, matrices or grids.” The plan should indicate how many patients are assigned to each RN and each ancillary staff. Staffing numbers are to be
NY Presbyterian Hospital press conference, March 16, 2021
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New York Nurse march 2022
Meet Your Board Members NYSNA is filled with fabulous leaders who work hard to care for patients while advancing the nursing profession. NYSNA wants to highlight leaders and will feature board members in several editions of the New York Nurse magazine. In this installment, meet NYSNA board members Michelle Jones and Seth Dressekie. Jones, RN, works at Flushing Medical Center; and Dressekie, RN, retired from Woodhull Hospital.
Michelle Jones, MSN, RN, ANP-C
Michelle Jones, RN
Michelle Jones, RN, has been practicing as an Adult Nurse Practitioner for over 10 years with experiences in Pre-Surgical Testing Department and Interventional Radiology; and as a Registered Nurse for over 30 years with experiences in Critical Care, Post Anesthesia Care, Cardiology and Medical-Surgical Oncology. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from SUNY Downstate Medical Center and Adult Nurse Practitioner from SUNY Stony Brook University. Michelle is active in several organizations and is the Co-Chairperson of the LBU at Flushing Hospital. She is the Immediate Past-President of the Nurse Practitioner Association of Long Island Region 7, member of the Metro Island Chapter of the Infusion Nursing Society and Sigma Theta Tau International Society of Nursing. She mentors nurses and provides education to both nurses and physicians.
Seth Dressekie, MSN, RN, PMHNP-BC
Seth Dressekie, RN, retired from Woodhull Hospital where he worked as a psychiatric nurse. In Seth Dressekie, RN
total, he has been a nurse for over 30 years. He served as a release-time representative and was formerly chair of the LBU at Woodhull Hospital. Dressekie is an Iraq War veteran and served in the Army for nearly 40 years. He runs a small private practice in Valley Stream, where he provides care as a psychiatric nurse practitioner.
When asked what motivated him to be a nurse, Dressekie commented, “this is what God told me to do.” At 17 years-old, Dressekie joined the Army. Although he wanted to become a military police officer, he was waylaid because he was too young. His first duty position was at Walter Reed, where he worked as an orderly. When he was released three years later, he received a scholarship and began formal instruction to become a nurse. Throughout his career, he has worked in homecare, community care, medical missions, combat operational stress teams, and says he has loved all of it. What He Wishes People Knew “I don’t think people understand how dynamic nursing is. Nurses can do everything. A lawyer cant go anywhere in the world and practice law, but a nurse can. A nurse can go anywhere in the world and practice. We are important and integral parts of the healthcare team. In fact, nurses are leaders of the healthcare team, bringing a more holistic view of the needs of the patient. I’m 62-years-old and I’m happy to see progress in terms of women’s rights. A woman can do anything a man can do, and can often do it better. In intelligence, stamina and leadership ability, women are often head and shoulders above men.”
Of Note to Union Members
Record Number of Contracts Expiring in 2022
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or the past three months, NYSNA has hosted bargaining conferences. On Dec. 6, 2021, Jan. 20, 22 and Feb. 6, 2022, the union convened gatherings to support members as they gear up for bargaining in 2022 and 2023. We did this as there are 39 contracts representing 24,000 members expiring in 2022, with 25 contracts representing 21,000 members expiring on the same day Dec. 31, 2022. When you include our 2021 expired contracts that are still fighting in 2022 for a fair deal, that is 46 contracts representing 28,000 members fighting at the same time. The workshops united across systems and regions to begin planning their respective bargaining campaigns. “This was an opportunity for workers to learn best practices and
strategies to improve the likelihood of getting a fair contract,” said NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN. “No one fights alone. It was important for us to gather members across regions and systems for this pivotal training.” But NYSNA is not the only union preparing to renegotiate contracts. According to Becker’s, healthcare strikes could be more likely as labor deals expire across US (January 24, Becker’s, Kelly Gooch). The publication noted that at least 207,000 healthcare workers are covered by more than 400 contracts set to expire in 2022. Bloomberg Law noted that while some workers may have already negotiated new agreements, the figure is likely higher as many contract expiration notices have to be filed.
Meet Your Staff Teams
IT Department NYSNA’s four-person nerd squad (also known as the IT Department) has two jobs: to give our teams the tools we need to organize members, and to keep our information safe and secure while doing it. NYSNA’s IT team manages our databases, computers, servers, and software applications. But most of our day is spent helping the rest of NYSNA staff use these tools to be more productive and effective.
women’s history month
NEW YORK NURSE
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March 2022
You Never Know When You Are Making History
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aking history can seem easy, especially when, with the click of a mouse, we can quickly find those who’ve done so. However, it takes a lot of hard work to make history, and the impulse to do so is often rooted in an outcry for change or inclusion or simply being seen and heard. Women seem to get that — especially those called into nursing. Nursing is the largest profession in the American healthcare system and is the pillar of the U.S. healthcare industry. For the 20th year in a row, it is also the most trusted healthcare profession. With over 3 million nurses providing care, it is inspiring to know that there have been many greats who made it possible for our millions to carry on the torch. In honor of Women’s History Month, I wanted to look at some of the firsts and some of the famous women who’ve contributed to the profession’s development, groundbreaking procedures and breaking barriers.
Knowledge Is Power In 1878, 42 students entered a rigorous program that The New England Hospital for Woman and Children’s nursing school offered; by 1879, only four remained. One of those four was Mary Eliza Mahoney. She became the first African American woman to be a licensed nurse in the U.S. Alternatively, thanks to a 1902 Rochester, New York meeting, which crafted the Nurse Practice Act, nurse and midwife Ida Jane Anderson became the first registered nurse in New York state after graduating from the Rochester Homeopathic Hospital School of Nursing. In September 2021, Google Doodle highlighted Latina nurse and trailblazer Dr. Ildaura MurilloRohde to kick off U.S. Hispanic Heritage Month. A Panamanian American, Murillo-Rohde founded the National Association of Hispanic
Ida Jane Anderson
Nurses (NAHN) and served as its first president. Focused on improving the healthcare system for the Hispanic community, NAHN is the leading professional society for Hispanic nurses and was created to serve needs that the American Nurse Association (ANA) wasn’t meeting. In 1971, she became the first Hispanic nurse to earn a doctorate from New York University. Meanwhile, Susie Walking Bear Yellowtail — the “grandmother of American Indian Nurses” — became the first registered nurse from the Crow Nation and first Native American in the U.S. to earn a nursing degree. It’s exciting to wonder whether when those women began their journeys to serve others that they knew they’d be a first and, in some cases, an only.
Going to Battle History likes to point to the more famous Florence Nightingale (18201920) as the founder of modern nursing and for her work in the Crimean War. We should also be as familiar with British-Jamaican Mary Seacole (1805-1881), who was an unofficial nurse to Crimean War soldiers. While Nightingale was astronomically instrumental in pinpointing lifesaving sanitation methods and the invention of a polar area diagram used to measure mortality causes during her 1854-1856 participation of the war period, Jamaican born Seacole had
no formal nurse training and relied upon herbal medicines and knowledge from her doctress mother to care for the British soldiers. Despite the high accolades she earned while treating an 1850 cholera epidemic, Seacole was told she would not be offered a position to nurse — even if one became available. On their own dime, Seacole (also a traveler and entrepreneur) and a partner established the British Hotel and created their own facility for the sick and wounded while also traveling on horseback two miles away to help stationed soldiers. Going to battle for those in need seems to be a common theme with our nursing sheroes.
Ildaura Murillo-Rohde
History in the Making Lillian Wald, a Jewish woman of privilege born in Cincinnati in 1867, is known as the first public health nurse and coined the term. In 1889, Wald attended the New York Hospital’s School of Nursing; in 1891, she graduated from the New York Hospital Training School for Nurses and subsequently took courses at the Woman’s Medical College. A devoted social reformer and humanitarian, Wald advocated for women and children’s rights and served poor immigrant communities in New York City’s Lower East Side to where she eventually moved. In 1893, Wald founded the Henry Street Settlement there, which philanthropist Jacob Schiff funded. Wald also visited her patients personally, which was uncommon at the time because healthcare was usually administered at home and to those who could afford it. Seeing a clear need that all people deserved access to healthcare, Wald suggested a national health insurance plan and also established a nursing insurance partnership with Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Wald also helped found the National Organization for Public Health Nursing and Columbia University’s School of Nursing. Bettie Mae Tiger Jumper is another woman who worked to Continued on page 8
Mary Seacole
Harris & Ewing/Library of Congress
By Peppur Chambers
Lillian Wald
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New York Nurse march 2022
An Interview with WMC Nurse Zina Klein, RN Zina Klein, RN, spoke with NYSNA about the crisis facing nurses and the nursing profession. In painstaking detail, she lays out why safe staffing is so critical. Excerpts from the interview are at right.
Zina Klein, RN
Can you share where you work? I have worked at Westchester Medical Center for years. Right now, I work in the Emergency ICU unit, but I’ve worked in the ER, in telehealth, and a variety of other positions in this hospital. In your speech during a WMC action, you said ‘Safe Staffing is not about more hands making light work.’ What did you mean by this? I can tell you that there is a staffing shortage at Westchester Med. Unsafe staffing is putting patients at risk and is driving nurses away from the hospital. In this profession, safe staffing is a matter of life and death. It’s about a nurse’s ability to give their patient what they need and deserve. It’s about having the time to be at a bedside to notice the slight difference in a patient’s condition, that if acted on quickly, can make the difference in the outcome of their hospital stay. It’s about the ability to comfort a patient when family is not present, educate a patient so they understand their injuries or disease and make good choices once they leave your care. It’s about spending time with their support system so they too can take better care of their loved ones. It’s about having
the time to sit quietly holding a hand while a mother or father, husband or wife, son or daughter makes the hardest decision of their lives. Safe staffing is about a nurse being able to do what they chose this profession to do; Nurture, treat, care, educate, heal, protect, and have the time to do it to the best of their ability and in a manner that preserves our patients and families’ dignity. Why is safe staffing a right of every patient? Safe staffing is not a privilege, it’s a right. Not just for the “ VIPs,” but for all. Safe staffing improves patient safety and patient outcomes, AND it can save money by reducing nurse burnout and turnover. It costs the hospital approximately 80 thousand dollars to replace a nurse. Westchester Med needs to hire AND retain its nurses! Did COVID-19 create this crisis? We had a staffing issue prior to COVID-19, and the pandemic made it worse. Nurses left because they got sick. Nurses left because they felt betrayed by their facility. These past two years, nurses have stepped up and worked through enormous
adversity. Our communities called us heroes, and our hospital used that for advertising. We never saw administration on the units rolling up their sleeves. While other hospitals were giving their nurses extra weeks of vacation and recognition bonuses to show appreciation, our hospital refused—saying we were already well compensated. At the same time, our senior leadership gave themselves large bonuses in 2020 and 2021. What would help you feel safe and secure? Nurses want to feel respected and appreciated for the hard work we do. It goes beyond compensation. It’s about a fair contract that addresses what nurses need to feel valued, protected and secure. It’s about having enough nurses at the bedside, including the experienced nurses who will stay to help teach and mentor the new ones. Westchester Med has no problem putting their resources into outrageous executive pay packages and hospital expansion. They are expanding again, planning to open a new ICU tower in 2024. Who is going to staff it? Without the nurses there is no WMC!
NYSNA Remembers Mike Chacon By Nancy Kaleda, NYSNA Executive Deputy Director
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or 25 years, I knew Mike Chacon as a friend and colleague. There are many remarkable things I can tell you about him, but one thing is clear: Mike was irreplaceable. His devotion to fellow nurses/ healthcare professionals and their patients was an inspiration to all. He was a fighter, a teacher, a role model, a negotiator, and a friend to many. Whether visiting members on the hospital floor, leading RN workshops, speaking at informational pickets or on a strike line, Mike’s leadership and determination carried the day as the ranks of NYSNA nurses steadily grew. He tackled the pandemic with knowledge and grit. Mike believed in doing the right thing. He was relentless and never gave up until justice was won.
Michael Chacon with members and friends.
These traits manifested not only in a remarkable team member, but a very special human being. He gave us strength in the fight for healthcare as a human right. We will remember Mike’s booming voice and sincere smile, his compassion for patients and comradery with fellow RNs. We know that his memory will live on.
NEW YORK NURSE
local action
March 2022
Westchester Medical Center In Crisis
Severe Nurse Understaffing; E.R. In Shambles; Inadequate I.C.U.s; Poor Infection Controls; Patients In Jeopardy, Say RNs
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urses at Westchester Medical Center (WMC) say a steep decline in hospital conditions is ongoing — causing experienced RNs to leave — and adversely affecting patient care overall. The RNs organized a speak out on February 2 and highlighted serious deterioration at the public facility. The healthcare workers called for immediate implementation of effective infection controls and a fair contract. The nurses, members of the New York State Nurses Association, were joined by several elected leaders at the local and state level. “Families from four counties have come to Westchester Medical Center for patient care. But they can no longer place their trust in a hospital management that understaffs in critical care units and emergencies. Management’s tactic now is to threaten to cutback nurse retiree health benefits, after all the nurses have been through,” said Nancy Hagans, RN, President of NYSNA “Nurses continue to struggle in delivering safe patient care at WMC,” said David Long, RN, Local Bargaining Unit president. “The overwhelming disrespect by management is deplorable as we hemorrhage experienced nurses weekly. The greed of top managers, evidenced by their hefty salaries, is felt at the bedside through the absence of highly trained nurses and other care partners. To this day, no efforts have been made by management to secure effective retention of our nursing heroes.”
Supporting Nurses “Nurses have been working tirelessly under the most difficult of circumstances at risk to their health and safety and that of their families,” said State Senator Shelley Mayer. “I am proud to support them as they speak out for the health and safety of patients, staff, and the community; the compensation to which they are entitled; and ensuring the retention of nurses as the challenges of understaffing
SICK NURSES PRESSURED TO RETURN TO JOB PREMATURELY
Nurses at Westchester Medical Center hold action in support of improved working conditions.
and the pandemic take their toll. I am committed to working with NYSNA and its members to ensure nurses and staff receive the compensation and respect they deserve, and patients and communities get the care they need and deserve.” “I am proud to stand with the brave and dedicated nurses at Westchester Medical Center and the New York State Nurses Association as they ‘speak out’ for safe staffing,” said State Senator Peter Harckham. “These are frontline heroes, and a lack of support for them is counterproductive and adds unnecessary risks to patients. I implore WMC: Give our nurses the staffing support they deserve.” “Our nurses are critical to the operation of our hospitals and nursing homes, and so very important to the quality of care and overall outcome for every patient and resident,” said Westchester County Legislator Erika L. Pierce. “When nurse staffing is cut, lives are lost and everyone suffers. Even more so during a pandemic. Thank you to our hard working and exhausted nurses who continue to care for us day in and day out. Let’s do the right thing and establish safe staff-
ing levels so they can do their jobs as they are meant to be done.”
Providing Direct Care “Our nurses have been at the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic, and they are the ones that provide direct care to all of us when sick and hospitalized,” said Westchester County Legislator Jose Alvarado. “They deserve and have earned the right to have competitive salaries and benefits. I am proud to stand with our nurses and other medical professionals at this Speak Out Event at the Westchester Medical Center.” “Nurses make our healthcare system work. Let’s make nurses’ workplace safe,” said Assembly Member Tom Abinanti. “Praise is good, but nurses need to be paid properly — their well-being impacts our wellness.” “I am pleased to support our nurses at Westchester Medical Center. It is important for the health and safety of patients that there be appropriate nurse-to-patient ratios at all shifts and that nurses be compensated based on their education levels and skills,” said Westchester County Legislator Ben Boykin.
David Long, RN
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New York Nurse march 2022
What does Women’s History Month mean to you, and why is it important?
M Judith Cutchin, RN, NYSNA Board Member and President, NYSNA NYC H+H/Mayorals Executive Council
arch marks a historic event: Women’s History Month, which is important because it highlights the achievement of women both past and present who have helped build and mold this country. Most importantly, women throughout history have created opportunities for me and so many others. This month is an opportunity to learn about our great leaders, activists and pioneers who have worked hard to ensure women are recognized and that future generations will learn (with accuracy) the contributions women throughout the world have made. Women’s History Month empowers young girls around the nation with courage, self-esteem and willpower to walk in our ancestors’ footsteps. Our history will also inspire current and future generations to emulate the women who laid the framework for us to succeed, be treated equitably and be recognized in society. JRF: Which women inspire or inspired you JC: My mother Sara Cutchin was my inspiration. As a young girl growing up in one of the toughest neighborhoods in the nation, my mother taught me to be resilient, prayerful and — in her words — “a
Making History Continued from page 5
Diane Carlson Evans
serve her community. As a travel nurse, she devoted her career to primarily serving the Seminole community. Both the first female chief of the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the first health director of the Seminole tribe, Jumper helped Seminole patients navigate the Western healthcare system. Florida State University awarded her an honorary doctorate in 1994. We know that women (and people in general) take action in the face of injustice, inequality or even ineptitude. We can be reminded of the work of two patriotic women, Mabel Staupers and Diane Carlson Evans. Staupers has been recognized for her efforts to end racial dis-
Honoring Great Women go-getter,” pursuing educational and professional opportunities. She laid the framework and steered me through a straight and narrow path to achieve my goal of becoming a registered nurse. Another woman who inspired me was Rosa Parks, an activist who fought for racial equality. I’m also inspired by the legacy of Mary Jane Patterson, who became the first Black woman to receive a Bachelor of Arts and used her education to become the first Black principal in a school district. She worked to establish strong intellectual standards for children. I also honor and remember Ezra Mohoney, who earned the distinction of being the first Black nurse to earn a professional license in an American school of nursing. Last but far from the least is Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Ginsburg was the first Jewish justice to serve on the highest court. She fought for workers’ rights, women’s rights, gender equality, and countless other human rights that women rely on today. The battle to protect women’s rights continues, but women are resilient and will fight for current and future
generations to ensure women will have a permanent seat at the table.
crimination among nurses; her big win occurred when the U.S. Army Nurses Corps integrated Black nurses after Pearl Harbor. After the war, Staupers continued her liberation fight and gained full membership for Black nurses in the American Nurses Association in 1949. Interestingly, both Mahoney and Staupers became ANA Hall of Fame inductees posthumously.
Women’s Memorial Foundation, where she championed the deserved recognition of the thousands of American military women who fought in the war. The Vietnam Women’s Memorial was finally dedicated on November 11, 1993. There are so many nurses who have done truly amazing things, and no nurse is without meeting or overcoming a challenge — be it racial, social or operational. For example, many of you have experienced a historical victory with the signing of the safe staffing bill and winning local campaigns. Over the past two years especially, each day has been a history-making achievement. You are the ones making history now for women today and for those who are following behind you. Continue carrying on proudly.
Taking Action Vietnam War nurse Diane Carlson Evans served as a surgical nurse in the surgical and burn unit of the 36th Evacuation Hospital in Vung Tau, Vietnam, and in the 71st Evacuation Hospital in Pleiku, Vietnam. Her service is doubly notable because she founded and became president of the Vietnam
JRF: What do you wish the world knew about nurses? JC: Nurses are the most trusted professionals in the nation. Therefore, the world should know that nurses (both women and men) care about the whole person. We respect a person’s beliefs, values and personal space. Nurses are not judgmental. We need your trust so we can effectively and safely care about your physical and emotional health. Day in and day out, we strive to have a positive impact on the lives of everyone we come into contact with, as evidenced by the COVID-19 pandemic and other disasters. Nurses are at the forefront of all healthcare and will deliver care regardless of a person’s beliefs, ability to pay, ZIP code or financial status. We are nurses, we are resilient, and our most treasured assets are the people we live and work with. I also want the world and those we come in contact with to trust us; nurses care more about you than you may think we do.
women’s history month
NEW YORK NURSE March 2022
Honoring the Contributions of Women
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omen are an indomitable force. They have not only changed history, but improved the labor movement. From Francis Perkins, who was the first woman to serve in a cabinet level position and a fierce advocate for workers, to Rosina Corrothers Tucker, who was a civil rights and labor activist, to Emma Tenayuca, a Mexican American labor organizer, the world of work would look drastically different without women. For Women’s History Month, I caught up with several NYSNA members to learn who inspires them and who they’re seeking to inspire. Below are lightly edited interviews from conversations with Jen Bejo, RN, who works in the ICU at Albany Medical Center, and Ann Bove, a college professor and retired nurse who worked at Bellevue Medical Center, a part of NYC Health and Hospitals. Bove is also fulltime faculty at BMCC part of CUNY, and an intermittent at Manhattan VA once per week.
Jen Bejo, RN JRF: What Does Women’s History Month Mean to You? JB: Women’s History Month is an opportunity to affirm that women matter. Taking time to honor women, suggests we matter. This month is about looking back on the past female figures in history, acknowledging all the sacrifices women made, and finding inspiration from their boldness to help continue the movements that they’ve started. This will help empower future generations of women. JRF: In What Ways Do Women Make History, In Ways Big and Small? JB: Women make history by paving the way for a better future. Women make also history everyday by raising responsible and accountable future generations with deep regard to the dignity and worth of another human being. We have also seen throughout history, that when you give women the same opportunities, support and resources as men — families and societies thrive. Every investment in a woman sparks a ripple effect that influences
However, just like the many historical movements in history led by women, unity and being organized with a common goal to advocate for better standards within our profession is the key. Most importantly, to take a moment to recognize all the hard work we have done so far to change the nursing practice and profession — like securing Safe Staffing Ratios legislation, first with our colleagues in California in 1999, fast forward to present day in our own great state of New York! Nurses make history, at the bedside and beyond.
Ann Bové, RN Jen Bejo, RN
not only her life, but the lives of her family and community, too. JRF: Which Women Inspire You? JB: I’m inspired by strong brave women. Rosa Parks inspires me because she didn’t give up her seat and she invigorated the struggle for racial equality. Emma Tenayuca inspires me for organizing Mexican workers in Texas during the 1930s. Josefa Madamba Llanes Escoda, also known as the “Florence Nightingale of the Philippines,” inspires me. She was also a World War II heroine and suffragist who amplified the political voice of all Filipinas. I’m inspired by Kate Mullany because she organized the first all — female labor union in the country. The women in my life inspire me every day. From my mother, friends, family, and work family, etc. Women who work and fight every day in hopes of creating a better future for the next generation of women and girls inspire me. JRF: What Are You Teaching Your Friends and Family About the Contributions of Women In Nursing? JB: Nurses are magnificent. I want my friends and family to understand the role women have played in nursing. As such, I’m teaching my friends and family that as a predominantly female-dominated population, we will have forces that will try to break us and make us feel less than what we are worth.
JRF: What Does Women’s History Month Mean to You? AB: Women’s History Month means a lot to me. For years, women have not been counted as citizens because we couldn’t vote until 1920. I think about my grandmother who was born in this country and she was 30 when she voted for the first time. Her mother died in childbirth when she was 14, but her father saw the importance of my mother completing her high school education and having a trade. My mother had a brother of age. My great grandfather left my sister in charge. He recognized her intelligence and invested in her. He saw the role she played in the family and in the community. I was brought up in a framework where women and our role was as an equal partner. I was part of a lawsuit that took 14 years to come to fruition — the city of NY didn’t recognize in the pension that nurses was physically taxing and arduous. Finally, in 2018 we settled the lawsuit. It recognized that nursing was physically taxing profession and a financial stipend was awarded to nurses that fit a certain component of pension language. Nurses are exposed to infectious diseases and so many other things that can complicate our life. JRF: Which Women Inspire You? AB: My mother, grandmother, and nurses inspire me. I was brought up by the Bellevue School of Nursing community and they prioritized advocacy. You got in trouble if you saw something and Continued on page 10
Ann Bové, RN
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New York Nurse
H+H update tk
march 2022
Jacobi Nurses Confront Mayor Over Hospital Violence And Safety; Secure Meeting With Mayor Harlem Members Plan to March on the Chief Nursing Officer to Get Results NYCHH implemented a pilot program and promised to pay NYSNA members $110 an hour overtime on a weekly basis. However, Harlem Hospital was unable/unwilling to put in place the mechanism to pay on time. Many members worked for weeks without receiving payment. Harlem Executive Committee members noted that action was needed to force management to abide by the pilot program agreement. The Executive Committee put out the call for a mass membership march on the Director of Nursing to demanded resolution.
After a January 25 shooting in the emergency room of Jacobi Medical Center (JMC), NYC Mayor Eric Adams and NYCHH Executive Director Mitch Katz toured the facility. NYSNA members joined and highlighted what city/hospital executives have known for years: Jacobi has had longstanding safety issues. Healthcare professionals demanded immediate action to address challenges that will ultimately protect patients, healthcare workers and the community. Mayor Adams responded by setting up a meeting with NYSNA members and promised continued dialogue with NYSNA to address health and safety issues. “For several years, we had been frustrated at the lack of responsiveness towards our safety concerns,” said Sean Petty, RN, a pediatric emergency room staff nurse and VP at Jacobi. “We did a union safety walkthrough back in 2019
and published a comprehensive report on safety needs and didn’t get a response from management. They always wait until the worst happens, and even still don’t fix what is needed. That’s why we knew we had to take action and make our voices heard at Mayor Adam’s press conference. Now that the mayor and H+H know exactly what we need, we will need to keep the pressure up to make sure the most important changes are implemented. Protest matters.”
Nurses Resist “Our recent meeting with Dr. Katz and Mayor Adams came to be because a handful of nurses protested at a recent press conference held at the facility,” said Kelley Cabrera, RN, an emergency room nurse and member of the Local Bargaining Unit at Jacobi. “We used this opportunity to advocate that nurses voices be heard. We
Coney Island Nurses Break Through City Bureaucracy to Deliver Pilot Program Pay Workers deserve to be paid and paid promptly. But for weeks, Coney Island Hospital Administration has offered a litany of excuses about why they couldn’t pay NYSNA members promptly
for overtime work in the new OT pilot program. NYSNA members took swift action. The Executive Committee at Coney Island Hospital demanded the Chief Nursing Officer meet with the
Honoring Women
importantly, they cared for the patients. I can’t say I see that level of service, concern and care for the community now. I don’t see it anywhere. But these nurses were focused on the mission and vision; it was all about the community. They lived nursing. I don’t see that in this generation. When I was in first grade, President Kennedy said ‘ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.’ I’m not telling people they’re joining a convent; but the answer cant be to quit in the face of trouble. The bouncing around happens in the private and the public sector. If there’s something wrong, you fix it. In a sense, I feel my generation is failing the younger generation because we haven’t held them to the standard we were raised with.
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didn’t speak about it. A number of these individuals — mostly women — were dedicated to the community. It was commonly understood that nurses dedicated their lives to the community. One woman — Ms. McDonald, who was actually in management — was a strong advocate. I went to visit her once and she said ‘are you ever going to call me by my first name and not Ms. McDonald,’ and I said, ‘well, Ms. McDonald…’ I couldn’t bring myself to call her Anne, which was her first name.’ She worked at the Henry Street Settlement. They didn’t boast about what they did, they just did what needed to be done. They treated people fairly but most
Sean Petty, RN
showed up at the press conference with posters outlining our concerns and demands. For years, several of our safety concerns had gone unanswered and we did not want to lose this opportunity to bring about much needed change. Our follow up meeting with the Mayor and Dr. Katz allowed nurses to voice our concerns and will hopefully bring about much needed and meaningful change.” committee and explain why payroll delays. Members argued that entering hours and paying for said hours shouldn’t be difficult. Moreover, system data entry problems are the system’s problem not the members. The Chief Nursing Officer couldn’t refute the overwhelming logic of the union and has begun to expedite OT payments. JRF: Who are you seeking to inspire? AB: I want to reach current and future generations of nurses, as well as young people in general. JRF: What Are You Teaching Your Friends and Family About the Contributions of Women In Nursing? AB: I worry about the nursing profession. When I got out of nursing school — and I attended Hunter College — I didn’t know about unions. But I knew it was important to help others. Looking for guidance, I called the National Organization for Women, NOW, and they helped point me in the right direction. I want people to understand the importance of community and dedication to community. Nursing is a service profession. It’s not about me or you; it’s about the community.
around our union
NEW YORK NURSE March 2022
NYP-Hudson Valley Hospital Nurses Ratify First Union Contract Historic Contract Raises Standards for Nurses and Patients
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pproximately 250 new members of NYSNA at NYP-Hudson Valley Hospital voted to ratify their first union contract on February 1. The members voted overwhelmingly for the union at their hospital, which is, part of the New YorkPresbyterian network. After struggling for approximately three years to negotiate a contract, the nurses prevailed, winning safe staffing standards, significant wage increases and more. “I am so proud of the caring, commitment and perseverance of my fellow nurses,” said Lorraine Fontana, RN. “This first contract lays a solid foundation for us to build a strong union that will improve our working conditions and patient care condi-
tions at Hudson Valley Hospital for years to come.” Highlights of the new contract include: l Staffing committee to establish unit-based staffing guidelines for safe patient care. l Professional Practice Committee for nurses to address staffing and practice concerns directly with nursing management. l Float pool to improve staffing throughout the hospital. l A new wage scale and hiring grid to eliminate unequal pay for equal work. l Annual 3% retention raises, including a 3% across-the-board retroactive increase and differential pay for specialty shifts and certification.
l Additional vacation and holiday
benefits. l Increased tuition reimbursement. l Preservation of health, retirement, family leave and other benefits, with guarantee of no cost increases. l Job protections, including just cause, layoff and grievance procedures. l Labor Management Committee to discuss and resolve issues and conflicts. l Agreement from management not to interfere with lawfully protected union activities. Renee Mauro, RN, said: “The nurses at Hudson Valley Hospital are dedicated to taking care of our community, and this union contract was a result of us uniting as a community. We are looking forward to having a stronger voice on the job to advocate for our patients.”
Putnam Hospital Center Nurses Protest Closure
O NYP-HUDSON VALLEY member speakout at HVH
n Thursday, January 20, OB nurses at Putnam Hospital Center united to highlight concerns and pushback against the temporary closure of the birthing center. The hospital plans to eliminate the OB services on March 1, 2022. NYSNA RNs led a delegation to the Chief Nursing Officer’s office to demand answers and to protect birthing care in the community.
Nurses Reach Agreement with Mt. Vernon Hospital
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urses seeking to join NYSNA and collectively bargain reached an agreement with Mt. Vernon Hospital. The agreement is similar to MNR — 3% every year for 5 years, increase tuition to $7,500, the establishment of a VEBA fund, and more. Mt. Vernon Hospital is located in Westchester. Montefiore, which owns Mt. Vernon Hospital, explicitly announced they would close the hospital in 2019. Through our community coalition campaign we have been able to get Montefiore to reverse the closure and announce the restoration of the ICU.
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This is a huge victory. After purchasing it in 2015, Monte had not kept their promises to improve services. Instead in 2019 they announced their intention to close Mt. Vernon Hospital and in the summer of 2020, they took the incredible step of closing the Intensive Care Unit mid-pandemic, potentially compromising care for the largely African American city of 80,000. As of last year, almost a third of Mt. Vernon admissions were being transferred to already overcapacity area hospitals. But the community and nurses fought back through the Save and Transform Mt. Vernon Coalition! Now Montefiore has not only
announced that they will be keeping Mt. Vernon open for business, but NYSNA has confirmed Monte signed an agreement with an agency to bring in intensivists to staff the ICU, a major step to restoring this vital service, and a new CAT scan machine has been installed and is operational. “We fought long and hard for our contract, just like we have been fighting for our hospital and our patients. We are thrilled to be able to settle our contract with fair standards, but our campaign is not over until Mt. Vernon hospital has been transformed into the facility that our community needs and deserves,” said Brendaline Nibbs, RN.
LI Nurse Wins DAISY Award Honoring Extraordinary Compassion
NYSNA nurse Jyothis Joy, RN, was recently honored with an international award for extraordinary nursing. Joy works for Long Island Jewish Valley Stream. She was inspired to go into nursing after watching her grandmother suffer from heart disease.
Psych RNs at NYP/ Gracie Square Hospital Sticker Up for Staffing!
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sych RNs at NYP/Gracie Square Hospital continue their fight for improved staffing. RNs recently won overtime incentives but recognize the need to improve recruitment efforts and retain quality RNs at their facility. On January 9 and NYP: 18, NYSNA Executive Committee members led successful sticker day actions calling on management to offer recruitment and retention bonuses to RNs. NYSNA RNs at NYP/Gracie Square Hospital continue to complete record numbers of Protest of Assignments and advocate for improved staffing at LaborManagement and Professional Practice Committee meetings.
NEW YORK NURSE march 2022
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INSIDE
This Women's History Month, We Should..., p. 2
Staffing Law Update..., p. 3
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