(ALBANY, NEW YORK) - New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA)-represented Nurses employed at Albany Medical Center recently marched to Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) Kevin Zeng’s office to deliver a petition calling on the hospital to settle a fair Union contract with safe staffing - and a real plan to recruit and retain Nurses for safe patient care. 

However, Zeng refused to accept the petition and called security instead of talking to the delegation of Nurses, NYSNA Representatives said.

Registered Nurse (RN) Kathy Whalen, who works in the hospital’s Pediatric Emergency Department and led the delegation, said: “We’re speaking out because our patients deserve better. For too long, Albany Med has cut corners, failing to safely staff our hospital and refusing to listen to Front-Line Nurses.  It’s time for Albany Med to put patient care first and settle a contract that helps us to recruit and retain enough Nurses at our patients’ bedsides.”

Meanwhile, the Union also released new data about Albany Med’s high Nurse turnover that NYSNA Nurses received directly from the hospital in Union negotiations: Approximately 50% of Albany Med Nurses have less than five years of bedside experience at Albany Med; and There are currently nearly 600 vacant nursing positions.  Albany Med’s nurse vacancy rate is nearly 25%, while a study found that the average national vacancy rate is 10%.

Albany Med’s retention rate is poor, with Nurses getting burned out and leaving at alarming rates, said NYNSA Officials, who added that during the past two years, more Nurses have left the hospital than have been hired.

In 2023, Albany Med hired 277 RNs, but 315 left.

As of July 2024, the hospital hired 98 RNs, but there have been 156 departures - more than in the same time frame last year.

The hospital is on track to hire 100 new grads, which will help fill vacancies, but will not add experienced Nurses or address retention problems, according to hospital-supplied data, NYSNA said.

“I’ve been a Nurse for (25) years and I’m one of the few experienced Nurses left on my Labor and Delivery Unit,” RN Kathryn Dupuis said. “Most of our new Nurses have one of two years of experience.  Inexperienced Nurses are left caring for the most critical pregnant patients, without experienced Nurses to turn to for help.  I see our young Nurses get discouraged and leave almost as soon as they arrive because the working conditions are too stressful, and they can’t care for the patients in the way they were trained.  We need to fix Albany Med’s retention problem now.”

To Continue Reading This Labor News Report, Go To: Albany Med Nurses March on the Boss to Demand Safe Staffing for Their Patients | New York State Nurses Association (nysna.org)

NYSNA Provided Photo.