Dear Friend,

Rest in Power, Minerva

We honor and remember the life of Minerva Solla, a beloved member of the NYSNA family whose spirit, strength, and commitment to justice touched so many.

As Director of Cultural Affairs, Minerva brought people together to uplift different cultures, build community, and strengthen our union. She started her healthcare advocacy as a Young Lord and went on to become a proud unionist and fierce advocate. She reminded us that our fight for healthcare justice is rooted in dignity and collective power.

Rest in power, Minerva. Your legacy lives on.

Albany Med Nurses Speak Out to Defend Care at Columbia Memorial

On Wednesday, April 15, nurses from Albany Medical Center joined 1199 SEIU healthcare workers from Columbia Memorial Hospital (CMH) for an action to oppose Albany Med’s plan to cut beds and services at CMH. The Albany Med Health System, which operates CMH, is planning to drastically reduce beds at the facility and convert it to a critical access hospital. CMH is the only hospital in Columbia and Greene counties, though, and any reduction in beds and services would put patient care at risk across the entire capital region. Frontline caregivers explained how Albany Med’s plan follows a pattern of disinvestment in patients and the larger community and how converting CMH to critical access would force patients to seek care at an already-overwhelmed Albany Medical Center. This would put strain on emergency medical services and increase emergency room wait times. This is unacceptable, and nurses are in solidarity with 1199 caregivers who want to keep care local in their community! Spectrum, WNYT, CBS6 and News10 covered the event.

ECMC Members Are Fired Up!

Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) nurses are getting fired up for two important campaigns — their campaign to secure paid family leave and their upcoming 2027 contract negotiations. To activate members, ECMC nurses are holding monthly membership meetings locally and lobbying to fight for the things that all our communities deserve at the state and national levels. At the National Nurses United federal lobby day in Washington, D.C., ECMC members joined other NYSNA members to fight for safe staffing, healthcare for all, taxing the wealthy and more. They marched with hundreds to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and met with Senators Chuck Schumer, Timothy Kennedy and Nick Langworthy. ECMC nurses know that we are stronger together!

UVM-CVPH Members Continue to Fight

University of Vermont-Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (UVM-CVPH) members are currently bargaining for a fair contract. In their most recent bargaining session, they won historic workplace violence language, allowing members who experience workplace violence paid time to heal without having to use their own benefit time. However, management still isn’t listening to other high priorities and wants to take away any collaboration on staffing, decrease pay for night shift medical technologists and increase healthcare costs for members. UVM-CVPH members are saying enough is enough and are ready to do whatever it takes to get the fair contract nurses and patients deserve!

Sign Carthage-Claxton Petition

Earlier this year, bankruptcy at Northstar/Carthage Area Hospital and Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center put patient care in the North Country at risk. Closures of healthcare services over the last decade have already forced North Country patients to travel long distances or forgo care entirely. This is unacceptable.

Although the New York State Department of Health recently committed to providing the funds needed to stabilize both hospitals, nurses will continue to fight to ensure that rural hospitals remain open and able to provide the safe, quality patient care that North Country residents deserve. Sign the petition to join nurses in demanding that New York state fund our rural hospitals!

NYSNA Executive Director Pat Kane Speaks at 32BJ SEIU Strike Vote Rally

On Wednesday, Apr. 15, NYSNA Executive Director Pat Kane, RN, CNOR(e), spoke at 32BJ SEIU’s strike vote rally. 34,000 porters, doorpersons, superintendents, handypersons and resident managers who maintain 3,500 buildings across the city — from historic luxury co-ops on Park Avenue to new developments to condos in the Upper West Side and apartments — have been fighting for a strong union contract that protects their health benefits and pensions. Pat spoke about how 32BJ members supported nurses during our historic strike and how we will support them as they fight for contracts that respect the work they do.

Just this afternoon, 32BJSEIU announced that they secured a fair contract, averting a strike! Congratulations to the thousands of 32BJSEIU members who make New York home!

New York City Health + Hospitals Conduct Maternal Health Trainings

In honor of Black Maternal Health Week, nurses at New York City Health and Hospitals (NYC H+H) conducted specialized maternal health trainings, focusing on high-risk obstetrics, postpartum hemorrhage, and neonatal resuscitation. The simulations at Harlem Hospital used realistic mannequins, and nurses spoke about how to improve patient safety, with a special emphasis on reducing disparities for women of color. NYSNA nurses are on the frontlines of the fight for improved health outcomes for all!

NYP-Brooklyn Methodist Nurses Escalate Campaign for Fair Contract

The 1,400 nurses at NYP-Brooklyn Methodist Hospital are organizing and escalating their campaign for a fair contract as they approach contract expiration. Nurses are circulating a petition with their bargaining priorities, wearing buttons and planning other actions to create momentum to win safe staffing and protections from workplace violence.

Save the Date: May Day Rally

Every year, workers across the world rise up and rally to celebrate working people and the labor movement. This year, workers are rallying across New York to defend workers’ rights. Join the labor movement and allies across the state to march against attacks on workers. We’re united in our resolve to fight for a better future for ALL workers abroad and at home, including those targeted by this administration. To save the date, click here, and share this flyer with your coworkers.

Spring 2026 Labor Education Trainings Open for Registration

NYSNA’s Labor Education Department trains members on how to become more engaged in the union’s work. It’s not too late to sign up for our four-part Leadership Training taking place on four consecutive Thursdays: April 30, May 7, May 14 and May 21. While taking all four parts is recommended, we encourage members to take as many as possible, with more trainings planned for the future. You can register here and please share with your coworkers!

On Wednesday, Apr. 22, join members from across the union via Zoom to learn about NYSNA, our union and the labor movement, and what roles we can play as rank-and-file members to strengthen the union and win improvements for workers and patients. Check out additional workshops in April and May that include how to increase turnout at union meetings and events, how to take control of meetings with management and more. Here is Labor Education’s updated full spring schedule here.

Please share the flyer of upcoming workshops with your coworkers and email [email protected] directly if you have questions or to schedule a workshop in your facility.

Save the Date: Legislative Lobby Day on May 5

Protecting our patients and ensuring nurses are able to give the best care possible requires using our political power to get the policies that protect nurses and patients. Going to Albany and speaking directly with legislators is an essential part of that work. Join NYSNA members in Albany for a legislative lobby day to make sure legislators hear our voices and protect our communities. Sign up using this form, and help spread the word by downloading and sharing the flyer.

Tell Albany: Don’t Leave Patients Home All Alone!

There is a proposal in the state budget to leave patients Home All Alone instead of in hospitals with 24/7 quality care. Under Hospital at Home programs, healthcare professionals monitor patients virtually in their homes instead of receiving around-the-clock expert care. Help us sound the alarm about this proposal that puts patient safety at risk. Learn more and sign the petition today!

Take Action to Fix Tier 6!

All workers deserve to retire with dignity and respect. That’s why New York state needs to take action now to Fix Tier 6! Tier 6 is the retirement plan for New York state’s public employees who joined the program after April 2012. This plan makes enrollees pay into the program for their entire careers at higher rates than previous plans and prevents enrollees from retiring before age 63 without facing heavy penalties. Tier 6 leads to significantly reduced pensions, which disincentivize New Yorkers — including nurses — from working in the public sector. In light of federal attacks on healthcare funding, our state legislators must do everything possible to help public sector hospitals recruit and retain enough nurses to safely care for the New Yorkers who need it most! To take action to fix Tier 6, use this form to email your legislators today!

“Nurses Helping Nurses”: Nurses House Launches 16th Annual Dolphins for Nurses Campaign to Provide Nationwide Aid to RNs in Need

Nurses House, Inc., the only national nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting registered nurses in crisis, today announced the launch of its 16th annual Dolphins for Nurses campaign. This signature fundraiser, rooted in the principle of “nurses helping nurses,” mobilizes the healthcare community to provide a critical financial safety net for colleagues facing illness, injury or other dire circumstances.

The 2026 campaign runs from April 12 through May 12, culminating during the nationwide celebration of National Nurses Week. Hospitals, nursing groups and individual supporters across all 50 states are invited to participate in a unified effort to honor the profession and provide tangible support for RNs in need. All proceeds from the Dolphins for Nurses campaign directly fund the Nurses House Service Program, a vital financial safety net for registered nurses across the nation aimed at providing housing stability through rent and mortgage payments. To receive a fundraising kit, please email [email protected] by April 24. To participate in the 2026 campaign digitally, please visit the official portal here.

Join Our Union Coalition Call: Protecting Patients and Workers

Healthcare workers in New York City and around the country have seen an increasing presence of ICE in our hospitals. It’s important that we know how we can prepare, advocate, and inform ourselves and our communities. Join your fellow union members from NYSNA, 1199 SEIU, Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU, Doctors Council/SEIU, and Communications Workers of America on Zoom this Monday, April 20, at 7 p.m., to learn more about worker and patient rights and the policies that can keep us safe. To register, click here. and share the flyer with your coworkers.

Take Action to Pass the New York for All Act!

All New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, should be able to lead open lives in our state, participate in their communities, provide for their families and access healthcare without intimidation. The New York for All Act will allow immigrant New Yorkers to lead more open lives and take care of family; preserve state and local resources for our communities; and ensure that our administration cannot divert New York dollars to carry out a cruel, politicized immigration agenda. Passing this legislation would prohibit New York’s state and local government agencies, including police and sheriffs, from colluding with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), disclosing sensitive information, and diverting personnel or other resources to further federal immigration enforcement. Learn more and sign the petition to urge Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature to pass the New York for All Act!

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.

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.

April Is Workplace Violence Prevention Month

Workplace violence remains one of the biggest concerns for NYSNA members. While workplace violence rates have fallen overall in the U.S., they continue to rise in the healthcare workplace. Unfortunately, nurses are the most frequent victims. A new law and new contract language aim to protect healthcare workers from workplace violence.

The New York State Department of Labor Public Employee Safety and Health Bureau has had a workplace violence prevention standard for many years. However, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has no similar protection for private sector workers. A new New York State Department of Health law, which covers both public and private sector general hospitals and nursing homes, will soon require these healthcare facilities to conduct workplace violence assessments and create workplace violence prevention plans. The law requires the active participation of employees and their union representatives in this process. Find more information on the law here.

While laws and standards are important, NYSNA members know that their collective bargaining agreements provide the best protection. In recent bargaining, many NYSNA facilities won a variety of workplace violence protections, including weapon detections systems, patient and visitor access controls, personal duress systems (wearable alarms) and behavioral health emergency response teams. Find more information on recent contract health and safety wins here. Hats off to the thousands of members and dozens of committees that made these advances possible!

Communicating About Measles for Health Professionals

Public health officials, healthcare providers and health communicators are on the front lines of conversations about measles and vaccination. Join us online on Tuesday, April 28, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. to get the latest data; learn evidence-based communication approaches; and get practical tools to help professionals navigate conversations about measles vaccination, respond to concerns and support informed decision-making. The National Academy of Medicine, the American Public Health Association (APHA) and the Common Health Coalition are cohosting this event.

To request continuing education credit from APHA, you must watch the event live and complete a questionnaire within 30 minutes of the event’s conclusion. A link to the questionnaire will be posted on the webinar page directly beneath the livestream video player. Click here to register.

Join Long Island Federation of Labor and NYCOSH for a Forum

On Wednesday, April 22, at 6 p.m., join the Long Island Federation of Labor and the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYOSH) for a Zoom forum, “Health and Safety for Healthcare Workers.” Healthcare workers face unique hazards and require specific workplace protections. In this forum, presenters from NYSNA — including Lisa Baum and David Pratt — and NYCOSH will speak about these hazards, collective bargaining wins for nurses, documenting unsafe conditions and protests of assignment for workers. Register today.

Sign Up for New NNU Courses Free for NYSNA Members

National Nurses United (NNU) is offering FREE virtual courses for NYSNA members. New Spring 2026 courses have 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.”

Spring offerings:

• “Our Patients Are Safe When We Are Safe: Workplace Violence and Back Injury Prevention in Health Care Facilities”

• “Our Patients are Safe When We Are Safe and Environments of Harm”

• “Nursing Practice in Our Current Moment & Some Cuts Don’t Heal”

• “Immigrant Justice, Global Migration, and Public Health & Increasing Danger of Workplace Violence in Health Care”

• “Hospital Staffing and Bearing Witness, Building Power”

• “Housing and Health-and-Health Care and Big Tech”

Applications for 2026 Secor Scholarships Now Open

The Secor Scholarship Fund, established in 2007, was made possible by a generous bequest by long-time NYSNA member Jane Secor, PhD, RN. Dr. Secor stipulated that the endowment be used for furthering nursing education. Two Secor Scholarships are awarded annually, and applications are now open. One $5,000 scholarship is given to a NYSNA member pursuing a baccalaureate (or higher) degree in nursing. Another $5,000 is awarded to a family member seeking a first degree in nursing. The degree can be at any level, but it must be the first degree in nursing sought by the applicant. Click on this flyer for more information, and visit our website to apply.

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 [email protected].

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 State Nurses Association is out now! You can read it here.

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.

2026 Nurse Education and Practice Workshops

Sign up for Nurse Education and Practice Workshops in 2026! 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 2026 complete course offering, and register for the courses directly here. You must create an account and be signed in 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 and mandated courses. Learn more and register for 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.

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 [email protected]. 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.

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 use issues. Visit the SPAN website for more information or to sign up for one of its upcoming classes. Check out SPAN’s Compassion Project.

In solidarity,
Pat Kane, RN
Executive Director, NYSNA