| | A Weekly Update for NYSNA Members | August 1, 2025 | |  | | | NYSNA Honors 60 Years of Medicaid and Medicare On July 30, 1965, 60 years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law, enacting critical programs that provide millions of Americans with access to affordable healthcare and moving the country one step closer to recognizing healthcare as a human right. As the federal government moves to dismantle these life-saving programs, it’s more critical than ever for healthcare workers and union members to speak out and organize to protect all New Yorkers’ health and dignity. NYSNA members are not going to take these healthcare cuts lying down. We will hold elected officials who voted for the federal budget bills accountable and call on state and local elected officials to invest in New York’s healthcare systems to preserve greater access to care and protect our most vulnerable patients, children, immigrants, LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers and individuals of low income. | | | |  | H+H Nurses Meet With City Council Member to Advocate for Fair Sick Leave Policy This week, NYSNA nurses at New York City Health+ Hospitals (H+H) and NYSNA nurse leaders including Executive Council President Sonia Lawrence, BSN, RN and Vice President Alizia McMeyers, MSN, MHA, BSN, RN met with NYC Council Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala to share their concerns about how this policy pressures nurses to work sick and puts public health at risk. Next week, NYSNA nurses are meeting with City Council Member Gale Brewer, the sponsor of the Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law) in New York City, to ask for her support. In addition, nurses have started a call-in campaign targeting American Nurses Credentialing Center credential administrators to tell them that H+H should not get a Pathway to Excellence designation if it refuses to listen to nurses. Check out this flyer for details on how you can take action to support H+H nurses. It’s time for H+H to do the right thing to maintain a healthy workplace for nurses, our patients and the public. | | | |  | H+H/Kings County Hospital Nurses Deliver Petition to Advocate for More Time With Patients, Better ICU Staffing On Wednesday, July 30, intensive care unit (ICU) nurses from H+H/Kings County confronted their director of nursing for the ICU with a petition demanding changes to the charge nurse’s patient load so they can focus on clinical oversight and unit coordination. They also requested an end to redundant nonclinical tasks that compromise the amount of time available to care for vulnerable patients. As Kings County transitions to a different record-keeping system, management is asking nurses to use both the old and new systems, essentially doubling their work. Nurses were able to get confirmation that the paperwork requirement for their charge nurse will decrease. While they are celebrating this initial victory, they are committed to continue organizing for better staffing in the ICU. Way to go, H+H/Kings County nurses! | | | |  | St. Anthony’s Community Hospital Nurses Deliver a Petition for a Fair Contract On Thursday, July 24, NYSNA nurses at St. Anthony’s Community Hospital delivered a petition to the assistant vice president of nursing signed by over 85% of nurses pledging their commitment to fight for a fair contract that protects quality patient care, provides safe staffing, and includes a fair wage and benefits package that attracts and retains nurses. Nurses are planning a membership meeting on Aug.12 to prepare for the next steps in contract negotiations. They plan on turning out in high numbers for their next bargaining session on Aug. 22 to show their power. | | | |  | Online Registration Now Open for the 2025 NYSNA Convention: Strength in Solidarity! You can now register for the 2025 NYSNA Convention, where hundreds of NYSNA members will come together to decide our union’s direction. The 2025 convention will take place in Resorts World Catskills and the Kartrite Resort on Oct. 28 and 29. This year’s convention theme is “Strength in Solidarity.” Register online here, or download and complete the registration form here. Check out the NYSNA website for the most up-to-date information on the convention. Deadline to submit Bylaws is Aug. 14, and deadline to submit resolutions is Aug. 29. Read the guidelines on drafting a resolution here. You can sign up for a NYSNA workshop that will prepare participants serving as NYSNA Convention Delegates. Check out the flyer here and register here. Stay tuned over the coming weeks for more information! | | | | Calling All Members: Labor Ed Courses and Summer 2025 Trainings Open for Registration NYSNA’s Labor Education Department is ready to come to your facility to train members to become union leaders. Sign up for Labor Education’s Taking Control of Our Meetings with Management, Bargaining Trainings on How to Become a Contract Action Team member, What is a Contract Campaign, Mobilizing Members & Rounding and more, taking place throughout July and August. Check out the comprehensive schedule, and click here to register. Contact labored@nysna.org with questions or to request a training in your facility. | | | | Your Rights and Advocate for Patients When Encountering ICE Nurses’ first duty is to care for and advocate for our patients. NYSNA nurses care for all New Yorkers regardless of immigration status, income or insurance status, race, religion, ability or disability, sexuality, or gender identity or expression — simply regardless. Read our statement regarding the federal policy change on immigration enforcement in “sensitive locations,” including hospitals and schools. NEW: Our allies at the New York Immigration Coalition developed this toolkit to provide a comprehensive list of resources for community members, partners and allies who work with immigrants. The toolkit covers health, community safety, family resources, financial empowerment and more. Learn your rights and get answers to frequently asked questions here to know what to do if you encounter ICE officers in your facility. NYSNA has also prepared this list of legal resources related to immigration. Please review and share widely. | | | |  | NYSNA Nurses Join Congresswoman Velazquez to Speak Out Against Medicaid Cuts On Wednesday, July 30, the 60th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, NYSNA nurses at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center joined Representative Nydia Veláquez for a National Day of Action to defend healthcare. Nurses and elected officials who are healthcare champions are sounding the alarm on how the latest budget will have a detrimental impact on access to care and access to funding and will potentially lead to service closures and layoffs. Check out this NYSNA factsheet, which outlines how healthcare cuts in the latest federal budget bill will impact New Yorkers, and stay tuned for future actions and advocacy efforts. | | | |  | Join NYSNA at Upcoming Cultural and Labor Celebrations Show up to celebrate the diverse identities and cultures that make up the NYSNA union family. Register or save the date to attend these upcoming cultural and labor events with NYSNA: | | | | NNU Workshop: Reevaluating Magnet Recognition and its Impacts on Nursing Practice and Professional Autonomy This popular course examines the effects of Magnet status designation on nursing practice, with a focus on how the models of care, leadership approaches, and management styles promoted by Magnet recognition impact nurses' ability to exercise independent professional judgment and advocate effectively for patients. Don’t miss out. Register for the course in August. You can register here and check out this flyer for all available dates. | | | | Sign up for New NNU Courses Free for NYSNA Members NNU is offering FREE virtual courses for NYSNA members! View the full calendar and register here or click on the links below to learn more and register for the courses you’re interested in. When registering for NNU courses, be sure to check off the first box, "Yes, I am a CNA/NNOC/NNU member." | | | | Med-Ed Continuing Education Discount NYSNA has partnered with Med-Ed Continuing Nursing Education to provide NYSNA members with full access to the complete Med-Ed catalogue at a 50% reduced rate. These are all self-study programs that members can access and complete at their leisure. You can access these course offerings by going to NYSNA’s members-only website here, then clicking on the Med-Ed website link, and entering the Promo Code NYSNAMEMBER at checkout, where the discount will apply. Please do not share this information with any nonmembers. | | | | NEW! Nurse Education and Practice Workshops You asked for it, and NYSNA’s Nurse Education and Practice (NEP) Department is delivering! NEP added the following workshops to our calendar in response to the learning needs assessment survey: | | | | The Importance of Barcode Scanning at the Bedside Scanning at the nursing station instead of at the bedside can seem like a timesaving “workaround.” However, it’s important to remember the importance of barcode scanning at the bedside. Heavy workloads and a lack of staff can lead nurses to fatigue, physical exhaustion and inattention. Medication errors occur for various reasons, including taking shortcuts and skipping medication safety checks. Barcode verification before medication administration is an accepted strategy for preventing medication errors, and medication administration allows nurses to verify the “five rights of medication administration” by scanning a patient’s wristband to confirm their identification and scanning the medication to crossmatch it with the electronic medical record. To prevent medication errors, be sure to scan the patient’s wristband and the medication at the bedside. Any other method is unacceptable and unsafe. | | | | Urgent Health Advisory: Avoid Nonsterile Ultrasound Gel in Percutaneous Procedures On May 23, 2025, the New York State DOH and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued 2025 Health Advisory #10: Non-Sterile Ultrasound Gel Contaminated
with an Environmental Bacterium. According to the health advisory, healthcare providers should avoid nonsterile ultrasound gel in preparation for or during procedures that involve puncturing the skin. Please review the NYSNA Health Advisory in full for more details | | | |  |  | 2026 Seminar at Sea Last year, NYSNA nurses sailed to Spain and Portugal while learning about resilience, emotional intelligence and how they connect to nursing. Next year, join NYSNA on an unforgettable weeklong cruise to China, South Korea and Japan set to sail in April 2026! This is an opportunity to visit beautiful countries while obtaining nursing continuing education credits and learning about the relevant and important topic of artificial intelligence in nursing practice and nursing education. Check out the informational flyer to learn about this unique and informative educational program. | | | | NEW! Journal of the New York State Nurses Association The new volume of The Journal of the New York Nurses Association is out now! You can read it here. The Journal of the New York Nurses Association is currently seeking papers. Authors are invited to submit scholarly papers, research studies, brief reports on clinical or educational innovations, and articles of opinion on subjects important to registered nurses. Of particular interest are papers addressing direct care issues. New authors and student authors are encouraged to submit manuscripts for publication. Read the guidelines for submission here. | | | | 2025 Nursing Education & Practice Courses NYSNA members can take advantage of FREE e-leaRN courses, including state-mandated offerings, standard of practice and certification review courses, as well as nursing practice workshops. Take a look at the complete course offering, and register for the courses directly here. You must create an account and be signed into it to search the full catalog of classes and register for them at no cost! | | | | Calling All Nurse Practitioners The NYSNA Nursing Education and Practice Department has added required and important educational offerings specifically for nurse practitioners (NPs). The courses include new, updated, new and required and mandated courses. Learn more and register to these classes for NYSNA NPs. | | | | | | | | | | Effective Jan. 1: Prenatal Rights Under New York State Law Recent changes to New York state employment law help working parents better navigate work and family and require hospitals to better accommodate registered nurses’ medical and family needs. Effective Jan. 1, 2025, New York has become the first state in the U.S. to require paid prenatal care leave, impacting all private employers. This comes not long after the June 2024 change that requires public and private employers to provide a minimum of a 30-minute paid break for employees to pump breast milk. Learn more about these rights in our updated NYSNA fact sheet and the New York State FAQs. | | | | Nurses’ Rights to Be Whistleblowers and Protest Your Assignments NYSNA members should be empowered with the knowledge of laws that have been passed with NYSNA’s input to protect them and empower them to speak up when patient safety is compromised, either due to unsafe staffing or other factors, such as a lack of personal protective equipment, as was the case throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Take a moment to learn about your rights in this flyer. | | | | NYSNA Health Alert: Cluster of Legionnaires' Disease in Harlem The New York City Department of Health (NYC DOH) is actively responding to a cluster of individuals with Legionnaires’ disease in Central Harlem (impacted ZIP codes: 10027, 10030, 10035, and 10037), which includes 5 confirmed cases and no deaths as of July 28. Additional cases are pending confirmation. NYC clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for legionellosis among all adults with pneumonia. Identification and diagnostic testing of Legionnaires’ disease is critical for informing treatment decisions and helping the NYC Health Department identify and address outbreaks, particularly through matching of clinical isolates to environmental isolates. Report legionellosis cases promptly to the local health department (LHD) where the patient resides. Cases in NYC residents should be reported to the NYC DOH by calling the Provider Access Line at 866-692-3641. If you are unable to reach the LHD for cases outside of NYC, contact the NYS Department of Health Bureau of Communicable Disease Control (BCDC) at 518-473-4439. Read the full health advisory from the NYC DOH here. | | | | COVID Sick-Leave Ended July 31 As one of the first states heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, New York pioneered a paid benefit to workers impacted by the virus. New York was the last state to sunset this benefit at the end of July. Although New York has ended statewide COVID-specific paid leave requirements, COVID is still with us, and NYSNA members should review their existing sick leave policies in their contracts. Check your contract in the My Membership section of NYSNA’s website here. | | | | Register for Health Watch USA’s 2025 Public Health Webinar Join NYSNA’s Health and Safety team at the 2025 Public Health Webinar on Aug. 29. Attendees will learn to apply evidence-based science to improve public health outcomes relating to viral infections. They will also learn to implement strategies designed to improve treatment and prevention options relating to emerging infections. The conference will discuss the dangers imposed by four infectious pathogens, SARS-CoV-2, measles, H5N1 and antibiotic-resistant bacteria; identify preventative strategies for airborne pathogens; and educate attendees about misinformation surrounding vaccinations to promote patient education. Check out the conference program here. You can register online here. | | | | Long COVID Guide Read NYSNA’s Long COVID Guide to help you stay informed on the diagnosis, treatment options, benefits and rights for workers with long COVID. | | | | | | | | NYSNA Life Insurance – It's Time to Designate Your Beneficiary NYSNA already provides members with a great benefit at no cost: Basic MetLife Life Insurance! This coverage provides $20,000 of Basic Life Insurance and $20,000 of Basic Personal Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance. All active members in good standing represented for collective bargaining through the union will automatically be enrolled in the plan. This union benefit is in addition to any other insurance provided by your benefits fund, your contract, or through your employer. But for your loved ones to receive this benefit, you must designate them as a beneficiary! To enroll and receive instructions on designating a beneficiary for your new Basic Personal AD&D Insurance, go to nysnawinstonbenefits.com or call 1-866-483-1124. Sign up with your NYSNA Member ID to set up and access your account and benefits. If you need your Member ID, please contact the NYSNA Membership department at membership@nysna.org. Download the flyer for additional details. | | | | NYSNA Will-Writing Benefits From MetLife The NYSNA Benefits Fund gives NYSNA members who are covered by the NYSNA Benefits Fund access to personal will preparation services that MetLife Legal Plans offer — at no additional cost. Having a will prevents unnecessary stress and ensures final wishes are clear. The Benefits Fund offers valuable legal resources through MetLife Legal Plans to assist with creating or updating a will with a member’s Basic Life coverage. As part of this benefit, members get legal guidance and unlimited consultations with network attorneys. Learn more here. | | | | NYSNA Members Are Eligible for AFL-CIO’s Union Plus Benefits! The benefits of being a NYSNA member extend beyond your NYSNA benefits. As an affiliate of the AFL-CIO, NYSNA members are also eligible for Union Plus benefits to help current and retired labor union members and their families save money and support them through major milestones, celebrations and hardships. These benefits include discounts on wireless plans, credit card deals, mortgage deals, discounts on insurance plans and more! Find out more on the AFL-CIO Union Plus website. | | | | | | The Talkspace Go App Is Mental Health on the Go! The Talkspace Go app is a great resource that provides daily mental health support on the go! Talkspace Go is a clinician-created, self-guided app so you can address mental health challenges and build mental fitness on your own schedule. It empowers couples, individuals and parents to take progress into their own hands in as little as five minutes a day. Access 400-plus self-guided classes and live weekly therapist-led, anonymous classes. Enjoy assessments, meditation exercises, journaling, reminders and more. Check out the list of July courses that are therapy-led, anonymous and free! Talkspace Go app is available at no cost to members and their eligible household members! Click here for the instructions and passcode to access the app. | | | | Free Benefits for NYSNA Members: Union Assistance Program The Union Assistance Program (UAP) is a confidential self-help program, independent from NYSNA, that is available to NYSNA members and their families as a membership benefit. When an employee or family member (18 or older) faces a significant personal problem, they can call UAP’s experienced counselors at 800-252-4555 for assistance at any time. Read more information on phone counseling services here. Learn about the benefits and resources that the UAP offers here. Check out the August 2025 newsletter here on beating the workplace loneliness epidemic. Statewide Peer Assistance for Nurses (SPAN) is a confidential education, support and advocacy program for all nurses licensed in New York state who are dealing with substance abuse problems. Visit the SPAN website for more information or to sign up for one of its August classes. Check out SPAN’s Compassion Project. Wellness Wednesdays: As part of its mission to promote a healthy lifestyle, SPAN is also offering a Self-Care Series that includes free Wellness Wednesday courses. Check out the full calendar of Wellness Wednesday offerings here. | | | | | | In solidarity,
Pat Kane, RN
Executive Director | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
