| | A Weekly Update for NYSNA Members | October 17, 2025 | |  | | | The Joint Commission Recognizes Safe Staffing as a National Performance Goal! Nurses have been saying it for years: safe staffing saves lives! And The Joint Commission is finally listening. In a pivotal moment for patient safety and the nursing profession, The Joint Commission has formally recognized staffing as a critical component of healthcare quality in its 2026 National Performance Goals! This requirement represents a significant shift from previous approaches that treated staffing as primarily an operational or budgetary concern. By elevating staffing to a National Performance Goal, The Joint Commission acknowledges what frontline nurses have long advocated: Adequate staffing is a fundamental patient safety issue requiring standardized oversight. Read more about The Joint Commission’s decision here. | | | |  | CVPH Members March on The Boss to Demand Bargaining Dates On Wednesday, Oct. 15, a delegation of NYSNA members marched on UVM-Champlain Valley Physicians’ Hospital’s (CVPH) Department of Human Resources to demand bargaining dates for the rest of 2025. NYSNA nurses and healthcare professionals spoke directly with the hospital’s director of employee relations, Neil Duquette, to share their frustration with management’s unresponsiveness. After several weeks of requests, management had offered nurses only one bargaining date in October on a day that conflicted with the NYSNA Convention! Nurses shared that this was unacceptable and affirmed their goal of settling a fair contract before their current one expires at the end of the year. During the discussion, CVPH management suggested several dates and committed to following up with additional dates, demonstrating that when nurses show up union strong, we can pressure the boss to come to the table. Way to go, CVPH members! | | | |  | Montefiore Nurses Speak Out and Sticker Up to Tell Management: Bronx Patients Deserve Better! On Tuesday, Oct. 14, Montefiore nurses presented their proposals for acuity-based staffing ratios to eliminate hallway beds and address the overcrowding in their Emergency Department. Over 40 nurses spoke in support of their proposal, with some offering heartfelt testimony about the impact these issues have on the quality of care that nurses can offer patients. The day after their strong showing at negotiations, Montefiore nurses organized a sticker campaign with hundreds of members coming to work wearing “Bronx Patients Deserve Better” stickers to remind management that they are not slowing down in their advocacy to win the contract that nurses and their patients deserve! | | | |  | NYSNA Members Attend Long Island Interregional On Wednesday, Oct. 15, NYSNA nurses and healthcare professionals from across Long Island attended the Long Island interregional meeting to celebrate their accomplishments and strategize for current and upcoming campaigns. NYSNA members came together to prepare for Convention and had robust conversations about issues they face at their facilities. Nurses heard from their Northwell colleagues at Syosset, Huntington, and Plainview hospitals about their fight for a fair contract. Long Island members pledged to support one another in doing whatever it takes to get a fair contract that protects nurses, their families and patients. | | | |  | Last Chance to Register for the 2025 NYSNA Convention: Strength in Solidarity! Registration Closes at Midnight Join NYSNA members from across the state for the 2025 NYSNA Convention today to decide our union’s direction. The 2025 Convention will be held at Resorts World Catskills and the Kartrite Resort on Oct. 28 and 29 in Monticello, NY. This year’s Convention theme is “Strength in Solidarity.” Register before midnight tonight — Friday, Oct. 17 — to enjoy the early bird rate, and check the NYSNA website to review the Convention agenda and get the most up-to-date information on the Convention. The Complete Course Listing and Continuing Education Information is available on the website. This year’s Proposed Convention Resolutions are now available on our website. This year, NYSNA is excited to introduce the Cvent app, a central hub for NYSNA members to access key information and make the most of their time at Convention. The Cvent app gives NYSNA members access to the full schedule, allows them to plan their own schedule by adding sessions to their personal agenda, and notifies members of relevant updates and announcements. Cvent will also include a map of the Convention venue to help members find their way around. NYSNA will email all Convention registrants a personalized link to download and log in to the Cvent app as we get closer to the Convention. Stay tuned! | | | | Labor Ed Courses and Fall 2025 Trainings Open for Registration NYSNA’s Labor Education Department trains members on how to become engaged union members and union leaders. Sign up for Labor Education’s standard trainings that include learning about NYSNA and organized labor, how to turn out your co-workers to meetings and events, how to win issues in your unit, how to take control of meetings with management, and more. Check out Labor Education’s updated fall schedule here. Don’t miss the upcoming workshop, Welcome to your Union, on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 10 a.m.! Sign up here. Additionally, bargaining trainings on how to become an effective Contract Action Team (CAT) member, mobilizing members for the contract fight, and rounding are available and can be tailored to your facility. Email labored@nysna.org directly if you have questions or to schedule a workshop in your facility. | | | |  | NYSNA Joins Rally in Support of Federal Workers On Tuesday, Oct. 14, NYSNA nurses, along with NYSNA Treasurer Margaret Franks, BSN, RN, MEDSURG-BC, joined union siblings from AFGE 3343, NYSUT, 1199 SEIU and the Hudson Valley Area Labor Federation to rally in support of federal workers impacted by the government shutdown. Unions across the Hudson Valley region are demanding that Congress do its job, put working people first and end the shutdown so that federal workers can get back to serving the American people. This rally is part of a series of actions that the AFL-CIO organized throughout the country to show solidarity with federal workers. | | | |  | NYSNA Celebrates Immigrant New Yorkers at the 2025 NYIC Gala On Tuesday, Oct. 14, NYSNA First Vice President Judith Cutchin, DNP, RN, and NYSNA Secretary Michelle Jones, MSN, RN, ANPC, attended the New York Immigration Coalition’s (NYIC) Gala to celebrate the critical role that NYIC plays in ensuring that immigrant voices are prioritized and protected. NYSNA leaders connected with NYIC President and CEO Murad Awawdeh and various elected officials, including Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and City Council Majority Leader Amanda Farias. In today’s anti-immigrant climate, NYSNA will continue to show its commitment to our immigrant patients, members and communities and support the efforts of coalition partners like NYIC. | | | |  | NYSNA Nurses Show Up to Say: Hands Off Tish James! On Friday, October 10, NYSNA nurses joined hundreds of New Yorkers at a rally in support of New York State Attorney General (AG) Letitia James. NYSNA is in solidarity with AG James who has long been a fighter for our communities, and condemns the virulent and baseless federal indictment against her. Her track record of success in fighting corporate criminals and public corruption and upholding New York's laws and values is exactly what has made her a target of Trump's politicized Department of Justice. NYSNA nurses are united with AG James and New York's labor movement against this desperate and soon-to-fail attack. Read NYSNA statement here. | | | | Join NYSNA at No Kings Day March This Saturday, Oct. 18 Join NYSNA at the nationwide No Kings Day March on Oct. 18 in New York City and across the state. NYSNA nurses and healthcare workers are joining labor unions and working families throughout our city to remind the federal government that there are no kings in the United States of America, and that the power belongs to the people! Here is the list of events taking place throughout New York this Saturday: - New York City: Duarte Square, Manhattan at 11 a.m. Check out the flyer and RSVP here.
- Albany: Western Ave and Fuller Rd at noon. RSVP here.
- Buffalo: Niagara Square at 11 a.m. RSVP here.
- Hudson Valley:
- Goshen: Goshen Green, corner of Church St. and Main St. at 2 p.m. RSVP here.
- Hudson: Hudson Seventh Street Park at 1 p.m. RSVP here.
- Poughkeepsie: Victor C. Waryas Park at noon. RSVP here.
- Brewster: Wells Park, 1:30 p.m. RSVP to come.
Check out the New York City event flyer with the updated time and location information, and RSVP here for the New York City march. | | | | Your Rights to 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 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. | | | |  | Join NYSNA’s GOTV Canvassing and Phone Banking Efforts Join NYSNA’s Political and Community Organizing Department to knock on doors or call NYSNA members and get out the vote! Join our weekly canvasses throughout New York City or make some calls from our New York City offices to make sure nurses are registered to vote, that they know the early voting dates, and that they are committed to voting for healthcare champions in the upcoming general elections. | | | | NYSNA Endorsements for 2025 General Elections! With Election Day fewer than three weeks away, less than one month away, NYSNA rolled out our first set of general election endorsements in local races throughout the state. Check out our endorsements of healthcare and labor champions on our website, and make your plan to vote today! Key Dates for General Election Season: - October 25, 2025 - November 2, 2025: Early Voting Period
- November 4, 2025: Election Day
| | | | California Union Nurses Celebrate Passage of Pro-Worker Legislation California Nurses Association (CNA), the largest union of registered nurses in California, celebrated the passage of a new pro-worker legislation that protects workers by prohibiting employers from requiring workers to pay a debt, fee or penalty if the workers want to leave their job. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the legislation into law on Monday, Oct. 13, expressly making these kinds of exploitative workplace debt arrangements unlawful. Nurses lobbied for this bill because nurses are among the workers who can get trapped in these so-called “stay-or-pay” contracts that indenture workers to remain at a job and chill workers from seeking better wages or working conditions. Read the full press release from CNA and National Nurses United (NNU) here. This week, NYSNA signed on to a letter with a coalition of organizations in support of A584C, the Trapped At Work Act (Steck/May) urging Governor Hochul to sign on to a substantially identical bill. | | | | Sign Up for New NNU Courses Free for NYSNA Members NNU is offering FREE virtual courses for NYSNA members throughout the summer. New fall 2025/winter 2026 courses have just been added. 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 the first box, “Yes, I am a CNA/NNOC/NNU member.” Fall/winter offerings: | | | | Reporting Child Abuse Course Addendum Is Live on E-leaRN NYSNA’s Nursing Education and Practice (NEP) is happy to announce that NYSNA’S NYS Child Abuse: Identification and Reporting, 8th Edition – Addendum online course is now live on our E-LeaRN platform. Anyone who completed the NYSNA course, NYS Child Abuse: Identification and Reporting, 8th Edition, through the NYSNA E-LeaRN platform between Oct. 1, 2023, and Sept. 30, 2025, is eligible to complete the addendum course with us. The addendum course is free for NYSNA members. If you are eligible, you may access the addendum course by logging onto E-LeaRN by clicking “Browse Catalog” and searching for “addendum.”  Every person who is required to take the mandated training related to child abuse must take either the full three-hour course or the one-hour addendum portion of the training by Nov. 17, 2026. Check out the NYSNA website for the latest updates to this requirement. If you have any questions about your E-LeaRN account, please contact NEP at courses@nysna.org. | | | |  | NEW: Call for Submissions! The Journal of the New York State Nurses Association The Journal of the New York Nurses Association is calling for submissions. 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 latest flyer outlining submission categories here. Read the guidelines for submission here. The latest volume of The Journal of the New York Nurses Association is out now! You can read it here. | | | | Frontline Nurses and ACPs Lead the Change in Social Determinants of Health Screening As health disparities widen, the role of nurses and Advanced Clinical Providers (ACPs) in identifying and addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) has become not just important but crucial. Their unique position at the point of care empowers them to lead these efforts. Nurses and ACPs, due to their frequent and personal interactions with patients, are often the first to uncover nonmedical factors impacting health. The trust they build with patients is not just important but critical in surfacing these sensitive issues. For efficiency, SDOH screening can be embedded into existing clinical workflows such as pre-visit planning and health risk assessments or during the rooming process. This approach minimizes disruption while enhancing the quality of care. Addressing SDOH requires not just nurses’ and ACPs’ efforts but also interdisciplinary collaboration. They should work closely with social workers, case managers and community health workers to ensure patients are connected to appropriate support services, making them an integral part of the patient care team. Validated Screening Tools
Some widely used tools are PRAPARE (Protocol for Responding to and Assessing Patients’ Assets, Risks, and Experiences), Health Leads, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Accountable Health Communities Health-Related Needs Screening Tool. These instruments assess a range of social needs, including transportation, utilities and interpersonal safety factors closely tied to health outcomes. In short, nurses and ACPs are not just caregivers, but they are advocates for health equity, helping bridge the gap between clinical care and the real-life challenges patients face. Reference
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2023). A guide to using the Accountable Health Communities health related social needs screening tool: Promising practices and key insights. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Retrieved from [https://innovation.cms.gov/media/document/ahcm-screeningtool-companion Ganatra S, Khadke S, Kumar A, Khan S, Javed Z, Nasir K, Rajagopalan S, Wadhera RK, Dani SS, Al-Kindi S. Standardizing social determinants of health data: a proposal for a comprehensive screening tool to address health equity a systematic review. Health Aff Sch. 2024 Nov 14;2(12):qxae151. Doi: 10.1093/haschl/qxae151. PMID: 39677005; PMCID: PMC11642620. | | | | 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. | | | | 2025 Nurse Education and Practice Workshops 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. You must create an account and be signed in to search the full catalog of classes and register for them at no cost! Based on our members’ demands, NEP has also added the following workshop to our calendar in response to the learning needs assessment survey: | | | |  |  | Seminar at Sea 2026 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. | | | | 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. | | | | | | | | | | 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. | | | | Factsheet: Preparing for Wildfire Smoke Smoke from wildfires has become a common feature in New York State and the surrounding area. Wildfire smoke is far more dangerous to human health than regular pollution and presents complex problems for medical facilities. Check out the latest NYSNA Factsheet from NYSNA’s Occupational Health and Safety team to learn more about how healthcare facilities can prepare for wildfire smoke conditions to keep their patients and staff safe. | | | | 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, 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. 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 and SPAN 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. October 2025 newsletter here on tackling financial worries through resources like financial coaching and money-saving ideas and benefits available through UAP. 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 sign up for one of its upcoming 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 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
