Dear Friend,

Nurses Rally and Testify at New York City Council

The New York City Council Committee on Hospitals held an oversight hearing on the state of nursing, and more than 20 NYSNA nurses testified to sound the alarm on the current conditions at New York City’s private hospitals. Over 200 nurses and allies — joined by Hospitals Committee Chair Mercedes Narcisse, Health Committee Chair Lynn Schulman, and Labor Committee Chair Carmen De La Rosa — packed the steps of City Hall for a press conference and rally ahead of the hearing.

Nurses urged lawmakers to support them in their demand that New York City private sector hospitals invest in safe patient care rather than executive pay and risky speculation on artificial intelligence. NYSNA’s rally was streamed live on our Facebook page and testimony can be watched on the City Council’s website.

The press — including News 12, New York Amsterdam News, El Diario, the Staten Island Advance, Politico and WBAI live — covered the press conference and hearing.

NYSNA Nurses Hold Roundtable for Allies on Patient Care in the North Country

On Thursday, Nov. 20, NYSNA nurses held a virtual briefing for allies on the state of patient care in the North Country. Over the last decade, healthcare services in rural parts of our state have been decimated by hospital consolidation and cuts to essential services. With cuts to federal healthcare funding set to hit in the coming years, including Medicaid cuts, nurses are fighting to restore critical services, like maternal and pediatric care, and protect patient care in their communities.

Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center nurse Jess Thornton, RN, said at the roundtable, "The extreme reduction in healthcare services across the North Country is forcing my family, my neighbors, and my community to travel great distances and pay huge sums out of pocket. We have to fight to restore services in the North Country, because what we have right now is already deeply unsustainable and only deters people from seeking medical care before it's too late."

With members from seven North Country facilities currently bargaining for new contracts, the time to fight to protect services and patient care in rural communities is now. NYSNA members care for the North Country and won't stop fighting until they settle the contract that North Country patients and healthcare staff deserve! NYSNA nurses and healthcare professionals intend to take their message to the broader community on Dec. 10 at a virtual town hall meeting. Learn more and help us spread the word!

Bargaining Heats Up at Syosset Hospital

NYSNA nurses at Northwell/Syosset Hospital continued bargaining this week, and held the line in their demands for better staffing ratios and maintaining their health benefits and pension. Northwell Health is the largest private employer in New York State, but they've already proposed outrageous takeaways during negotiations, including the loss of the NYSNA health and pension plans. Nurses at Syosset Hospital, though, are not ready to give up those benefits without a fight. If Northwell Health can afford to acquire entire health systems and grow their business, they can also affrd to settle the fair contract that Syosset nurses and patients deserve!

Albany Med Nurses Sticker Up to Enforce Their Contract  

In the latest contract, Albany Med nurses won improved vacation policy language that ensures every nurse the opportunity to take the time they earn in a year. However, management has yet to follow and enforce the policy that was agreed upon. NYSNA nurses in the neonatal intensive care unit knew they would be constantly capped and lose their time. This would also put newer nurses in a position to have zero time approved for the next year. That’s why NICU nurses stickered up to bring attention to the policy and demand Albany Med management respect the contract and enforce the new vacation language. All NICU nurses and some fellow healthcare professionals on the unit sported their stickers to show their solidarity!

Mount Sinai Nurses Speak Out for Workplace Safety  

NYSNA nurses at Mount Sinai Hospital spoke out recently, voicing nurses’ security concerns and demands after the recent active shooter incident at the hospital. The incident was a tragic reminder of what happens when hospital administrators continue to ignore nurses’ calls for workplace violence prevention, including functional weapons detection systems at every hospital entrance. Nurses and patients deserve a hospital that is a place of safety, healing and quality care. Check out Pix11 and CBS coverage, and read NYSNA’s full statement on the incident.

NYSNA President and Executive Director Recognized as 2025 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 Women Power 100 list highlights the powerful women who run and shape New York.

PoliticsNY and amMetro also featured Hagans and Kane as 2025 Health Care Power Players! This list honors the elected, community and business leaders in the healthcare industry who dedicate themselves to all New Yorkers’ health and wellness.

NYSNA Statement on the Department of Education’s Proposed Rule to Exclude Nursing From “Professional Degree” Programs

On Friday, Nov. 21, NYSNA released a short statement in response to the Department of Education’s proposed rule that removes nursing degrees from the definitions of “professional” education. Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” law limited guaranteed federal student loans for graduate programs to $100,000 and professional degree programs to $200,000 in total loans. This proposed rule would:

• Make nursing students pursuing advanced practice degrees ineligible for maximum federal loan borrowing opportunities — putting advanced degrees for nurses further out of reach financially. Master of Science, nurse practitioner, certified registered nurse anesthetist and other graduate degree programs will not be in the $200,000 cap “professional” category and will instead be capped at the generic graduate school level of $100,000.

• Eliminate the Grad Plus program, which allowed additional loans to cover nontuition expenses like housing and childcare.

• Restrict public service loan forgiveness programs on political and ideological grounds. Nurses could be found “unpatriotic” and ineligible for loan forgiveness for advocating for or working in settings supporting immigrants, gender-affirming and reproductive health care, or diversity programs.

The proposed regulations still need to be posted on the federal register and allow for public comment before formal adoption. We are monitoring this process closely and intend to advocate aggressively against these proposed rules. NYSNA vehemently opposes these proposed regulations, which will lead to economic hardship for nurses, fewer nurses and advanced practice nurses in the workplace, worse outcomes for patients and moral distress.

Woodhull Nurses Earn Master of Science in Nursing

Congratulations to NYC Health+Hospitals/Woodhull nurses, Karen Benitez and Phoebe Valenton, who earned their Master of Science in Nursing through the NYSNA/H+H Tuition Fund! Both Benitez and Valenton studied with an emphasis on nursing education and were inducted into the Sigma Theta Thau Honor Society.

Two More Trainings Left This Year! Sign Up for Labor Ed Trainings

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 schedule here.

Staffing Enforcement: Collecting Protests of Assignments
Wednesday, Dec. 3 | 8:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Taking Control of Our Meetings with Management
Thursday, Dec. 11 | 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Additionally, bargaining trainings on how to become an effective Contract Action Team member, mobilizing members for the contract fight and rounding are available and can be tailored to your facility. Email [email protected] directly if you have questions or to schedule a workshop in your facility.

Monday, Nov. 24 — New York Health Act 101

Federal healthcare cuts threaten our families, our hospitals and our most basic right to care. But New York has the power to protect every New Yorker by passing the New York Health Act – lowering costs, expanding access and guaranteeing comprehensive coverage for all.

We’re at a tipping point, and we need all hands on deck. Get involved and help us fight for a future where every New Yorker has guaranteed care. If you are interested in learning more about the New York Health Act (NYHA) or looking to brush up on your talking points, join us for the following workshop:

NYHA 101, Monday, Nov. 24, at 7:00 p.m. Register here.

Stay up to date with the New York Health Act newsletter. Sign up at https://www.nyhcampaign.org/.

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.

NNU Demands House Vote on the Protect America’s Workforce Act

The Protect America’s Workforce Act discharge petition reached an important milestone, with 218 congressional signatures in the U.S. House of Representatives, allowing it to move quickly to a vote on the House floor. This act would help restore federal workers’ collective bargaining rights! National Nurses United (NNU) released a statement urging Congress to call on a floor vote.

This is an all-hands-on-deck moment to help restore collective bargaining rights to the more than 1 million federal workers. Call your representative now and ask them to pass the Protect America’s Workforce Act. Dial 855-493-4407 or fill out this form to receive a call.

Sign Up for New NNU Courses Free for NYSNA Members

NNU is offering FREE virtual courses for NYSNA members. New fall 2025/winter 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.”

Fall/winter offerings:

• “Social Justice and Patient Advocacy (2 hours)”

• “Planet Over Profits: The Health Impacts of Environmental Crisis & What Nurses Can Do”

• “Partnering With Our Patients: Nurses, Worker Power, and Health Justice (2 hours)”

• “How Financialization Is Reshaping the Hospital Industry: What Nurses Need to Know”

• “The Biology of Inequality: The Health Impacts of Social Environments”

• “Investigating Long Covid and Its Impacts on Patient and Nurse Health”

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

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].

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.

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 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!

Based on our members’ demands, NEP has also added the following workshop to our calendar in response to the learning needs assessment survey:

• “Nursing Team Concepts — Communication, Delegation and Supervision,” Dec. 2

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 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.

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 [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.

Learn about the benefits and resources that the UAP offers here. Check out the November 2025 newsletter here on the power of gratitude.

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 new 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, NYSNA