| | A Weekly Update for NYSNA Members | October 3, 2025 | |  | | | NYSNA Commemorates Breast Cancer Awareness Month Mammograms and breast cancer screenings are key to saving lives. During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, NYSNA encourages our members to learn more about their right to a free breast cancer screening. Call 1-866-442-CANCER or text “Get Screened” to 81336 for more information! | | | |  | NYSNA Celebrates Filipino History Month October is Filipino American History Month! NYSNA celebrates our Filipino members and patients. From Delano farmworkers organizing alongside Chicano farmworkers in the 1960s to nurses making historic gains to protect patients today, Filipino American contributions and history are labor history! | | | |  | NYSNA Celebrates Italian American Heritage Month October marks Italian American Heritage Month. NYSNA celebrates the contributions of generations of Italian immigrants and Italian Americans in our local community and throughout the country. | | | | Courts Confirm NYP Nurses’ Arbitration Victory! In a huge victory for nurses, a federal court confirmed the staffing arbitration award of NYSNA nurses from the Emergency Department (ED) at NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP) Allen! At their arbitration in September 2024, nurses presented evidence of 143 staffing violations, and the arbitrator held that there was “evidence of excessive workload, unsafe working conditions, or burnout.” As a remedy, the arbitrator awarded three vacation days for each full-time regular Allen ED nurse. NYP sought to vacate this award in court, arguing that this remedy was unlawful. Judge Ronnie Abrams of the Southern District of New York federal court rejected this argument in her decision, holding that the award is compensatory, not punitive, and that it is within the arbitrator’s authority. The court affirmed that the award was intended to compensate nurses “for working under the adverse conditions of an understaffed shift” and that “the inconvenience and hardship suffered by the 47 nurses over the course of the year therefore qualifies as a cognizable harm.” Now, NYSNA nurses have multiple federal court decisions affirming their right to hold NYP accountable for staffing violations. Congratulations, Allen Hospital ED nurses, on this tremendous victory! NYP may try to delay justice, but it can’t deny nurses justice! | | | |  | Samaritan Nurses March on the Boss, Demand Fair Contract On Wednesday, Oct. 1, NYSNA nurses at Samaritan Medical Center engaged in two actions in support of their fight for a fair contract. First, nurses delivered a petition to management, demanding a fair contract that includes enforceable safe staffing, a safe workplace, and a secure future in the form of fair wages and respectful benefits. More than 300 nurses at the hospital signed the petition in solidarity with their bargaining committee. Nurses also organized a button campaign to remind management that nurses are worth more than a pizza party! While management might think that the occasional pizza party is a suitable replacement for safe staffing and respectful wages and benefits, nurses know their worth and won’t stop fighting until they get the fair contract that Samaritan nurses and patients deserve! | | | |  | Mount Sinai Nurses Win Victory on Bargaining Location, Deliver Platform Petition Mount Sinai Hospital members brought their demand for on-site bargaining to the boss at a labor management meeting on Sept. 17. The very next day, during the first day of negotiations, management agreed to bargaining on or near campus at Mount Sinai Hospital, the first of many victories to come. On Monday, Sept. 29, Mount Sinai Morningside and West nurses presented their platform petition. Nurses opened by reading out their petition, which received over 1,300 signatures. Nurses outlined their demands and spoke about staffing enforcement, workplace violence, investments in artificial intelligence, break coverage and more. Nurses shared powerful testimony and explained how important their bargaining platform is for patients and nurses. | | | |  | ECMC Nurses Speak Out on the Impact of Understaffing on ED Wait Times NYSNA nurses at Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) were featured in Spectrum News 1 speaking out about understaffing at their facility and how it leads to long ED wait times. Lona Denisco, RN, and Crystal Knihinicki, RN, also shared how fraying social safety nets and lack of access to preventative healthcare leads people to crowd the ED for nonemergency needs. The nurses also emphasized that the hospital’s narrative on a staffing shortage is a myth that healthcare companies repeat to gloss over how their staffing decisions lead to poor working conditions for nurses. “I think frequently a lot of reports get put out on burnout for nurses, and that’s inaccurate,” said DeNisco. “There are tons of nurses that are willing to work that won’t work in this condition.” Way to go, ECMC nurses, for speaking truth to power and reminding the Buffalo community that safe staffing saves lives! | | | |  | Claxton and Carthage Nurses Organize Button Action to Let Bosses Know They’re Worth More NYSNA nurses at Carthage Area Hospital and Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center organized a joint button campaign to remind management: Nurses are worth more than a pizza party! Nurses at both hospitals are in the middle of contract negotiations, and they are ready to continue building power in their facilities by organizing actions and sending the message that they won’t settle for anything less than a fair contract. | | | |  | Read the Proposed Resolutions for the 2025 NYSNA Convention: Strength in Solidarity! 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 online and enjoy an early bird rate if you register on or before Oct. 17. Check out 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. NEW! 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 on identifying how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being used in your hospital! 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. | | | | Save the Date: Join NYSNA at No Kings Day March on 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! Check out the new flyer, and RSVP here for the New York City march and stay tuned for additional locations. | | | | 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. | | | | New NYSNA Endorsements for 2025 General Elections! With Election Day less than two months 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
| | | | NNU Nurses Call on Federal Government to Reverse Healthcare Funding, Reopen National Nurses United (NNU) is calling on Congress to pass H.R. 5450/S. 2882. The Continuing Appropriations and Extensions and Other Matters Act of 2026 would not only restart the government but also save lives by restoring healthcare funding and assistance while ending the Trump administration’s unprecedented power over government spending. Nurses are very clear that Republicans are to blame for the government shutdown; they manufactured this impasse by refusing to negotiate with Democrats as a means to further degrade and gut critical public services and advance an agenda to privatize vital functions that the federal government currently provides for the greater public good. Nurses support the Democratic continuing resolution proposal because not only does it curb Trump’s power and keep the government open, it reverses the impending healthcare cuts from H.R. 1, the budget reconciliation bill that Republicans passed in July. Read NNU’s full press release here. | | | | NEW COURSES! 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.(2024) 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: | | | | 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 workshops 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 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 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
