| | A Weekly Update for NYSNA Members | November 22, 2024 | |  | | | Huntington Nurses Vote to Join NYSNA The nurses at Northwell Health/Huntington Hospital in Long Island have voted for NYSNA to be their union! After Huntington nurses heard news stories about Northwell contract victories at other Long Island facilities, they reached out and began organizing to join NYSNA. After long delays preventing the National Labor Relations Board election, nurses finally made their voices heard on Wednesday, Nov. 20. Huntington nurses are ready to take on Northwell Health and win a strong contract for their patients, their community and their profession. Congratulations, Huntington Hospital nurses, and warmest welcome as the newest NYSNA members! | | | |  | Mount Sinai Hospital ED Nurses Win Arbitration Award and Staffing Enforcement Victory On Tuesday, Nov. 19, emergency department (ED) nurses at Mount Sinai Hospital won a safe staffing arbitration award. The arbitrator found 1,900 staffing violations and awarded $900,000 to understaffed nurses to remedy those violations. This is the largest monetary award the union has obtained for any unit so far! This victory is a direct result of the great work the ED nurses did to record staffing issues and their active participation throughout the mediation and arbitration process. ED nurses at all Mount Sinai facilities—Mount Sinai Hospital, Morningside and West—have all won substantial arbitration awards in the past two years. Mount Sinai ED nurses are united in their continuing fight to hold management accountable to safe staffing to ensure patients are receiving safe care with dignity and respect. Congratulations, Mount Sinai ED nurses! | | | | NYSNA President and Executive Director Recognized as 2024 Power Players Congratulations to NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, and NYSNA Executive Director Pat Kane, RN, on their recognition in City & State magazine’s list of the top 100 women leaders in New York state. The City and State’s Power of Diversity: Women 100 list highlights the powerful women who run and shape New York. Hagans and Kane were also featured as 2024 Health Care Power Players by PoliticsNY and amMetro! This list honors the elected, community and business leaders in the healthcare industry who dedicate themselves to the health and wellness of all New Yorkers. | | | | Save the Date: Mount Sinai South Nassau Nurses Speak Out Nurses at Mount Sinai South Nassau have been organizing to win their first union contract that benefits their patients, their community and their profession. However, management has yet to move on important contract proposals such as staffing, wages and benefits. Nurses are organizing a speak-out on Monday, Dec. 9, to make their demands for a fair contract heard! Stay tuned for more details! | | | |  |  | Wynn Hospital Members Kick Off Bargaining NYSNA members at Wynn Hospital in Utica, N.Y., held their first bargaining session on Nov. 19. This will be the first contract that members are bargaining together since nurses from MVHS St. Elizabeth Medical Center and Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare united as NYSNA and moved into the new downtown Wynn Hospital. Since the merger agreement and the move to the new hospital, our members have faced many tests and have consistently risen to the challenge. Now they’re ready to face off at the bargaining table and win the fair contract that nurses and Utica patients deserve! | | | |  | Montefiore Nurses Petition Against Moses Hospital Bed Reduction On Thursday, Nov. 21, forty nurses marched to Montefiore's executive offices to demand that management reverse plans to reduce beds at Moses Hospital. Armed with a petition signed by 1,500 supporters, the nurses warned that cutting med-surg and step-down beds would worsen overcrowding and compromise patient care. The nurses requested to meet with Dr. Peter Semczuk, the executive overseeing the restructuring. However, he declined to meet them and instead sent a nursing director in his place. “This restructuring plan will mean fewer beds, more hallway patients, overcrowded emergency departments, and unsafe conditions,” said Eddie Afful, RN, a Montefiore nurse whose palliative care unit is slated for closure. Afful also criticized the use of hospital space for executive offices instead of patient care. “We demand that Montefiore prioritize patients by increasing beds and reopening closed units for care,” he said. | | | | Practice Alert: Required Completion of NYS Reporting Child Abuse Course All licensed health practitioners are required to repeat the Identification and Reporting New York State Child Abuse program, even if you have taken the program in the past. This is a one-time requirement that must be completed by April 1, 2025, with proof to be sent by each individual practitioner to New York State by April 1, 2025. Please check our flyer for more information. | | | | Seminar at Sea 2025 Join NYSNA on a weeklong cruise from Spain to Portugal on May 24-31, 2025. Not only will you get a chance to visit these beautiful countries, but you will also have the opportunity to obtain nursing continuing education credits and connect with colleagues from New York and throughout the country. You can find additional information in the informational flyer to learn about this unique and informative educational program and details on how to register for the cruise. | | | | Upcoming NNU Workshops As part of National Nurses United, NYSNA members can now access free continuing education courses and workshops online. Learn more about workshops that advance your practice and empower union nurses. Check out these upcoming workshops: | | | | Call for Papers in the Journal of the New York State Nurses Association 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. Check out the latest volume of the journal and read the guidelines for submission here. | | | | Full Nursing Education & Practice Virtual Course List Now Available! 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 information on how to register here, or register for the courses directly here. | | | | Calling All Nurse Practitioners The NYSNA Nursing Education and Practice Department has added required and important educational offerings specifically for nurse practitioners (NPs). Here is the new listing of programs that are free to NYSNA NP members in 2024: - Updated: New York State Mandatory Prescriber Education Guidance – For DEA Registration No. (four-hour online asynchronous program required to be taken every three (3) years).
- New and Required: Federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 and New York State Requirements for All DEA Registered Practitioners: Safe Prescribing of Controlled Substances 8 Hour Training (a one-time eight-hour online asynchronous program. The deadline for satisfying this new training requirement is the date of a practitioner’s next scheduled DEA registration submission—regardless of whether it is an initial registration or a renewal registration—on or after June 27, 2023).
- Mandated New York State Infection Control Training for Healthcare Professionals (asynchronous program required to be taken every four (4) years).
- New and Required: New York State Child Abuse: Identification and Reporting, 8th Edition. (All licensed health practitioners are required to take this new program even if you have taken the New York State Child Abuse program in the past. This is a one-time requirement to be completed by April 1, 2025, with proof to be sent by the practitioner to New York State by April 1, 2025.)
- NPs and Midwives: Prescribing Information (Req. for Form 2B) (a one-time online asynchronous program for those NPs and midwives who did not graduate from an in-state NYSED registered NP program, satisfying the required coursework on New York and Federal Laws Governing Prescriptions and Record Keeping).
| | | | | |  | Build Nurse Union Power at Labor Education Trainings! New York City Health+Hospitals (H+H) member leaders met in person for two full days of training covering the four-part Member Leader Training. The program is designed to provide members with practical information to enforce the contract, advance nurses’ and members’ interests, and ensure that healthcare workers and patients are respected. H+H members covered topics including organizing co-workers to resolve worksite issues, grievance handling, legal rights, recruiting co-workers to be involved in union activities, winning safe staffing enforcement and more. If you are interested in scheduling a Member Leader Training in your facility, please contact labored@nysna.org. In the last two weeks, over 50 members participated in the first two Zoom sessions for the statewide Fall Member Leader Training. There are two more sections on Wednesday, Dec. 4, and Wednesday, Dec. 11 — both trainings are 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Zoom. Registration is still open. List of Upcoming Trainings (90 minutes on Zoom) — Register Here
Staffing Enforcement: Collecting Protests of Assignments
Saturday, Dec. 7 | 10:00-11:30 a.m. New Officer Training
Tuesday, Dec. 10 | 9:30-11:00 a.m. Check out more trainings in 2025! If you are interested in setting up an educational session in your hospital, please contact NYSNA Labor Education at labored@nysna.org. | | | |  | Save the Date: Lobby Day Save the date for NYSNA Lobby Day on March 11, 2025. NYSNA members know that our fight for safe staffing, health equity, and more depends on our elected officials investing in healthcare and holding employers accountable. Stay tuned for more details and how to reserve your seat on the bus! | | | | NYSNA Health & Safety Expert Advocates for Stronger Infection Prevention Policies On Nov. 14-15, NYSNA health and safety representative Lisa Baum traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Health Care Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee. The committee convened to review recommendations on isolation precautions and healthcare personnel guidelines. The committee considered four questions that would water down the CDC’s current recommendations for infection control of airborne transmissible diseases like COVID-19, along with personal protective equipment, sick leave policies and other healthcare worker protection guidelines. Baum was the sole “no” vote on almost all of the questions. Read more about our strong advocacy for health and safety at the CDC on Medpage and Forbes. | | | | | | | | California Nurses Association San Joaquin County Nurses Hold Info Picket for a Fair Contract California Nurses Association nurses across San Joaquin County held an informational picket at San Joaquin General Hospital on Tuesday, Nov. 19. They rallied against management’s failure to meaningfully address their contract demands for improved patient safety and recruitment and retention of experienced nurses. San Joaquin County nurses have been bargaining for a new contract since March and have proposed improvements to workplace violence prevention planning, safe staffing and protections against the use of technology. | | | | Sign up to Attend NYSNA’s Worker’s Compensation Town Hall on Dec. 3 NYSNA has been fighting to protect the right to medical care and wage replacement for frontline nurses through New York’s workers’ compensation system. If you have filed for workers’ compensation and need help navigating the system or simply want to know what your rights are under the law, join us Tuesday, Dec. 3, at 8:00 p.m. for NYSNA’s latest Workers’ Compensation Webinar. Robert Grey, an attorney who specializes in workers’ compensation, will present and answer your questions. Register for this Workers’ Compensation Webinar, which is free to NYSNA members. Also, check out the latest guide from NYSNA’s Health and Safety to learn what workers’ compensation covers, how to file a claim and your rights. | | | | Prenatal and Lactation 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. As of June 2024, public and private employers must provide a minimum of paid breaks of 30 minutes for employees to pump breast milk. Effective Jan. 1, 2025, New York will become the first state in the U.S. to require paid prenatal care leave, impacting all private employers. Learn more about these rights in our NYSNA fact sheet. | | | | 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. | | | HEALTH & SAFETY AND COVID-19 RESOURCES | | Avian Flu Safety Alert for Healthcare Workers In early September 2024, the Missouri Department of Health reported that a patient with no known exposure to animals that may carry avian influenza (H5N1) was infected with the disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and further investigation later identified as many as 94 healthcare staff who had come in contact with the patient and several developed respiratory symptoms. Although there are no reported cases of avian flu in New York, check out NYSNA’s Health and Safety guide to protect healthcare workers exposed to H5N1. | | | | | | | | COVID-19 Leave Fact Sheet Nurses working in New York have several options for fully paid or partially paid leave to cover work time missed due to COVID-19 infection or COVID-19 quarantine. Check out this fact sheet updated by NYSNA’s Occupational Health and Safety team to learn more about your rights under New York state law. | | | | 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. | | | | | | | | No-Cost Life Insurance Benefit From MetLife Are in Effect for NYSNA Members! NYSNA is pleased to announce a new member benefit that became effective on Aug. 1, 2024: Basic MetLife Life Insurance! This new coverage is at no-cost to you and 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/policyholder will automatically be enrolled in the plan. This new union benefit is in addition to any other insurance provided by your benefits fund, your contract, or through your employer. Benefits include: - Basic term life insurance.
- AD&D benefits for covered losses that are the result of an accidental injury or loss of life, including line of duty death benefits.
For more information and instructions on designating a beneficiary, visit www.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 NYSNA Membership department at membership@nysna.org. Download and share the flyer. | | | | 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. | | | | | | Free Benefits for NYSNA Members: UAP Program and SPAN 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 offered through the UAP here. The November 2024 newsletter shares tips for the upcoming holiday season on forgiveness. Read it here. 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. The SPAN newsletter for fall 2024 is here! The newsletter covers art therapy as part of recovery and highlights the SPAN story of Rob Simpson, eastern regional coordinator for SPAN. Visit the SPAN website for more information. | | | | | | In solidarity,
Pat Kane, RN
Executive Director | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
