(NEW YORK CITY) – Earlier this week, New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA)-represented Nurses gave harrowing testimony on how short-staffing puts patient care at risk at a City Council Oversight Hearing on the state of nursing in New York City.

More than 100 nurses and allies, joined by City Council Hospitals Committee Chair Mercedes Narcisse and Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, packed the steps of City Hall (NYSNA Photo Above) for a press conference ahead of the hearing.

With two-thirds of Registered Nurses (RNs) across the country saying they are planning to leave the profession in the next two years, NYSNA Nurses are sounding the alarm on the staffing crisis that has left caregivers burnt out and at their breaking point. 

NYSNA Nurses and allies say New York City can’t afford to wait another minute to address the hospital-created RN staffing crisis, as Pediatric Units are already overflowing with RSV cases, and the threat of a Tripledemic of COVID-19, RSV and flu looms as Winter months approach.

NYSNA President and RN Nancy Hagans said: “When New York hospital CEOs earn an average of over ($1 million) a year and top executives gave themselves ($73 million) in salary hikes and bonuses during the first and deadliest year of the pandemic, we know hospitals can afford to hire and retain enough Nurses at the bedside.  We’re calling on hospitals to listen to Nurses and patients.”

NYSNA Nurses from the largest academic medical centers to the smallest safety-net hospitals testified at the hearing about working conditions in City hospitals, including the safe staffing and healthcare crisis that’s putting patients at risk and driving Nurses from the bedside. 

NYSNA Director at Large and RN Matt Allen said: “The Mount Sinai Health System alone now has over (800) nursing vacancies.  They have a nationwide ad campaign touting they will ‘find a way’ to cure any disease, but they can’t find a way to hire and retain Nurses.  They don’t see the bedbound patient who has been waiting thirty minutes for a sip of water because the Nurse is caring for twelve other patients.  Or the Mom struggling to breastfeed her newborn for the first time without any support because the Nurse is caring for double the amount of newborns she is supposed to.  Or the patient in palliative care crying out in pain because there is no spare hands to make sure he gets his pain meds on time.  But we Nurses see it, and we want the public to know, too.”

Nurses say that hospitals are not doing enough to keep them at the bedside - from safe staffing ratios to good health care benefits to competitive pay.

Instead of supporting Nurses, many of whom contracted COVID-19 at work while saving lives, Hospital Trustees of the NYSNA Benefit Fund are looking to cut health care for RNs, Union Officials said.

When they get sick, Nurses often turn to their own hospitals for care, but some New York City hospitals have been jacking up fees for health care services, meaning they’re profiting from getting Nurses sick - and now they don’t want to pay the bill, the Union added.

To Continue Reading This Labor News Report, Go To:  www.nysna.org/press/2022/nysna-rns-sounded-alarm-short-staffing-crisis-city-council-oversight-hearing-state-nyc#.Y4pHLHbMKiM