More than 1,500 NY health care professionals rally for safe nurse staffing ratio's!!

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More than 1,500 health care workers rally for safe nurse staffing ratios and safe patient handling

More than 1,500 health care workers from across New York packed the West Capitol Park in Albany today for a rally in support of two bills to address the patient care crisis in this state - the Safe Staffing for Quality Care Act (A6571/ S3691-A), which would create safe nurse-to-patient staffing ratios for acute care facilities, and the Safe Patient Handling Act (A2180-A/S1123-A), which would create a statewide safe patient handling policy.

Health care workers from four unions - the New York State Nurses Association, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the New York State Public Employees Federation, and the Communications Workers of America - have formed the New York Healthcare Workers Coalition to advocate for patients with a united voice. The coalition is working to enact these two bills this year to improve quality of care for patients throughout New York.

Today, members of the New York Healthcare Workers Coalition met with more than 150 state senators and Assembly members, and asked elected leaders to support legislation for safe nurse staffing ratios and safe patient handling.

"I've been shocked to see New York emergency room nurses who are being forced to take on 15, 16, and even more patients at a time. That's not safe," said Jill Furillo, RN, executive director of the New York State Nurses Association. "In California, the law says that a hospital cannot assign more than four patients at a time to an ER nurse - and sets minimum safe staffing levels for all hospital units. There's no reason New York patients can't have that same protection. Patients and caregivers are counting on our lawmakers to pass the Safe Staffing for Quality Care Act this session."

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Specializes in Cardiology.

As a NY nurse working intermediate care taking on 6-7 patients, I applaud this. All it takes is one of my pts to be slightly unstable (not uncommon in intermediate cardiac care!!!) and the others don't get the care they should. I was sleeping off the night shift (and didn't know about this) otherwise I would have gone. Go, nurses!

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Specializes in FNP/FPMHNP-BC.

Its about high time. I work in critical care and lately they keep given me three patients.

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Good news for those of us headed into the profession! :up:

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Only 1500? That is pretty embarrassing. No wonder nothing ever changes in nursing.

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Shake my head when I hear nurses do anything but support safe-staffing laws and support the unions who are instrumental in even getting them through committee.

Some of my coworkers simultaneously condemn CNA/NNU but revel in California's nurse-ratio law... which was only passed and implemented due to efforts by the California Nurses Association.

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Great news!!

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Any news on this? Is it being considered?

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There are over 740,000 allnurses.com members.

Nursing is the largest health care "profession" in the USA.

Just think what we could do if we ALL stood together?!

Amazing things.

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There are over 740,000 allnurses.com members.

Nursing is the largest health care "profession" in the USA.

Just think what we could do if we ALL stood together?!

Amazing things.

Nurses need to stand together

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