Dear Friend,

NYSNA Celebrates GI Nurses and Associates Week!

Gastrointestinal nursing is a high demand field that integrates technical skill with holistic patient support to manage over 60 million people with GI conditions in the U.S. alone.

GI healthcare professionals are vital in managing, treating, and educating patients with complex digestive disorders. We thank you for the critical role you play in preventive screenings, patient education, emotional support, and administering specialized treatments, ultimately enhancing quality of life.

NYSNA Nurses Make Their Voices Heard at the Capitol!

On Tuesday, March 10, NYSNA members from across New York traveled to Albany for our annual lobby day! Members made sure that our elected officials heard nurses’ and healthcare workers’ voices and demands with a rally for safe, quality patient care in the morning and an afternoon of meetings with our state legislators. NYSNA members are patient advocates, first and foremost, and that’s why we are demanding that New York:

• Ensure that all New Yorkers have high-quality healthcare and pass the New York Health Act.

• Raise revenues to fund healthcare.

• Improve safe staffing levels and enforcement of our state’s staffing laws.

• Protect nursing practice standards and patient safety.

• Fix Tier 6.

NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, said, “After winning a historic strike in New York City that secured strong contracts that improve patient care, we’re taking our call to the halls of power at the state level to ensure that patients are defended and nurses are able to give the best care possible. The federal attacks on healthcare will strip coverage from more than a million New Yorkers. But New York state has the opportunity to step in and do the right thing to safeguard care by ensuring that your care is not determined by your ZIP code, nationality, gender identity and more. The moment to take action is now!”

State lawmakers must deliver an equitable budget to support the communities and healthcare workers who need it most! We will take this electric energy back to our hospitals and ensure that our coworkers join us in the fight to protect healthcare. CBS6 covered the action.

NYSNA Nurses at WMC-HealthAlliance Speak Out Against Workplace Violence

On Wednesday, March 11, nurses held a press conference to discuss the vital need for protection from workplace violence after a violent incident led to a hospitalwide lockdown at Westchester Medical Center’s (WMC) HealthAlliance Hospital in Kingston. Nurses have been bargaining for months and demanding a contract that ensures enforceable safe staffing standards, protections against workplace violence, and wages and benefits that help recruit and retain nurses. While workplace violence protections have been at the forefront of their demands, hospital management has refused to address their safety concerns. Spectrum, WAMC, and The Daily Freeman covered the speak out. Nurses made their message loud and clear and will keep fighting until they get the contract they deserve!

Over 15,000 Unionists Gather for Historic Fix Tier 6 Rally

NYSNA nurses from across the state joined 15,000 public sector workers in Albany for a rally to #FixTier6! All workers deserve to retire with dignity and respect, especially those who serve New York! Legislators need to fix tier 6 NOW to recruit and retain enough nurses to work in our public hospitals and to keep workers in the public sector!

NYSNA Executive Director Pat Kane, RN, CNOR(e), said: “Having good benefits is essential to recruiting and retaining the skilled nurses and frontline healthcare workers who New Yorkers depend on for their care. The public sector often lags behind the private sector in pay. Without strong pension and other benefits, public sector healthcare workers will continue to leave public service. That’s why it’s time to fix Tier 6!”

Join the New York Health Act Lobby Day!

In the last few months, we’ve seen firsthand how wealthy hospital executives have tried to take away our healthcare. If they are willing to sacrifice the healthcare of frontline caregivers to increase their profit margins, we know they will leave our vulnerable patients behind. It’s time to take action in the fight to guarantee healthcare for all New Yorkers. We’re taking our demand for New York’s universal, single-payer healthcare bill, the New York Health Act, to the New York State Capitol on Tuesday, March 17. Join us in Albany for the New York Health Act Lobby Day with labor, community and healthcare activists. To sign up, visit this form. The bus will depart from Mount Sinai Hospital at 6:30 a.m. and Montefiore Moses at 7 a.m. See you in Albany!

Join us for the Next Single Payer Committee Meeting

Now, more than ever, it is essential that we fight to protect healthcare access. The New York Health Act would guarantee universal, single-payer healthcare for all New Yorkers, creating a healthcare system that addresses healthcare disparities and that covers everyone. As healthcare workers and advocates, it’s our duty to come together and fight for quality care for our communities. To be a part of the fight for healthcare justice, join NYSNA’s Single Payer Committee’s next virtual meeting on Wednesday, March 18, at 8 p.m. All members are invited to attend and can register here.

Join the NYC CLC/UFT Women’s History Month Brunch: Leading the Change

On Monday, March 23, the New York Central Labor Council and the United Federation of Teachers will be hosting a free brunch for Women’s History Month, “Leading the Change - Women Shaping a Sustainable Future Through the Worker’s Lens.” The brunch will include a panel discussion highlighting women leaders across the Labor Movement who are shaping a sustainable future through the workers’ lens. The program will feature a keynote address by New York City Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su, and a panel discussion with Rebecca Damon (SAG-AFTRA), Patricia White (IATSE and New York City Theatrical Wardrobe Union, Local 764), Gloria Middleton (CWA Local 1180), and our President Nancy Hagans, moderated by NYC CLC Secretary-Treasurer and UFT Vice President for Academic High Schools Janella T. Hinds. The event will take place at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, New York, NY 10004. The brunch is free, but space is limited, so please click here to register.

Inaugural NYSNA Statewide Staffing Committee Meeting on March 19

The first meeting for the NYSNA Statewide Staffing Committee will be on March 19th at 8 pm. This new committee will serve as a space for members to connect, share challenges they're facing, and work together on potential solutions. It will also help to strengthen our collective voice as we advocate for and fight to enforce safe staffing in every facility across New York. The committee will meet quarterly via Zoom to discuss strategies to build on our 2021 victories and improve the staffing laws for NYSNA members. If you would like to be a part of the committee, please register using this link.

Spring 2026 Labor Education Trainings Open for Registration

NYSNA’s Labor Education Department trains members on how to become more engaged in the work of the union. Sign up for Labor Education’s standard virtual/ Zoom trainings. On March 25, join members from across the union to learn about your legal rights as union members! Other workshops will include learning about NYSNA and the labor movement, how to increase turnout at union meetings and events, how to win issues on your unit, how to take control of meetings with management and more. Check out Labor Education’s updated full spring schedule here.

Registration is also open for our four-part Leadership Training taking place on four consecutive Thursdays: April 30, May 7, May 14 and May 21.

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! No Kings in New York City!

In the face of federal attacks on our patients, workers and communities, NYSNA members are ready to take action to protect our democracy. Join NYSNA members on Saturday, March 28, at 2 p.m. in Manhattan as part of a nationwide Day of Action to speak out against the federal government’s attacks on workers’ rights, healthcare funding and access. Click here to sign up and share the flyer with your coworkers.

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.

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”

• “Trust and Doubt in the Fight for Health”

Seasonal Flu Alert and Resources

Flu season in New York state is continuing in full force. In addition to the expected A and B strains, an additional flu strain mutation (influenza A H3N2 mutated from a “J” subclade to a “K” subclade) has emerged this season. Subclade K has quickly become the dominant strain in the U.S. and a number of other countries. It is not unusual for mutations like this to happen, but because the flu vaccine must be produced many months in advance, this type of change can result in a mismatch between the seasonal flu vaccine and the currently circulating flu strains. While this means the vaccine’s effectiveness may be lower, it can still decrease the incidence of severe disease, hospitalization and death.

Read more on this year’s flu and how to best protect yourself here and use this checklist to assess your facility’s response to the surge. If you have any questions or concerns regarding flu activity and infection control in your facility, please contact the NYSNA Occupational Health and Safety Representatives at [email protected].

Seminar at Sea Destination and Theme Survey

We want to hear from you! NYSNA is planning our 2027 Seminar at Sea cruise and wants your input. Use the link here to complete the survey and let us know your preferred destination and theme for Seminar at Sea 2027. Filling out the survey should take less than one minute. Make sure to submit your survey before the March 20, 2026, deadline. We look forward to hearing from you!

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.

The Therapeutic Role of Music in Healthcare Settings

We know that stress-relief interventions boost engagement and resilience among both staff and patients. Healthcare providers, especially nurses, face high stress levels from long hours, heavy workloads and emotional demands. Critically ill patients also face similarly high stress levels.

Music therapy has become a cost-effective, nondrug intervention that benefits both healthcare staff and patients by fostering feelings of support and value. Evidence shows that music can lower anxiety, heart rate and blood pressure; improve mood; and strengthen resilience. In intensive care unit settings, music reduces patient stress and sedative needs, while for healthcare workers, it aids emotional regulation, reduces stress and promotes psychological resilience during demanding shifts (Sowicz et al., 2020; MDPI, 2021). Recently, NYC Health+Hospitals’ Arts in Medicine department, in collaboration with Juilliard Extension, launched the Harmonizing for Health program to address healthcare provider burnout and compassion fatigue. The program reflects the growing recognition of arts-based interventions as meaningful tools for promoting emotional well-being in high-stress clinical environments. It exemplifies how creative interventions can support mental health, reduce occupational stress and enhance the quality of care. The integration of music therapy into healthcare practice represents a practical, low-risk approach to building a more resilient, healthy workforce and patient-centered environment. Music is a therapeutic tool with measurable benefits for patients and healthcare workers in high-stress clinical environments. Programs like Harmonizing for Health exemplify how creative interventions can support mental health, reduce occupational stress and enhance the quality of care.

NYSNA NEP ACP Educational Needs Survey

We value your input! Your feedback is essential and will help us enhance the NYSNA Nursing Education Program (NEP) and create new continuing education opportunities designed specifically for our Advanced Clinical Providers/Practitioners (ACP) members. Please take a moment to complete our survey. Your participation is entirely voluntary, and we sincerely appreciate your time and insights. All responses are completely confidential and will directly inform the future programs and offerings we develop. If you have any questions, call 212-785-0157, ext. 377, or email [email protected]. Thank you for your participation in this survey and for your dedication to lifelong learning!

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. Check out the March 2026 newsletter here to strengthen your financial future. 

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.

In solidarity,
Pat Kane, RN
Executive Director, NYSNA