Dear Friend,

NYSNA Observes Memorial Day

This Memorial Day weekend, NYSNA honors and remembers those in the armed services who have died in service of our country, especially nurses and healthcare professionals on the frontlines. We celebrate their lives and sacrifice.

NYSNA Members at UVM-CVPH Hold Informational Picket to Demand a Fair Contract

Yesterday, hundreds of NYSNA members at the University of Vermont-Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) held an informational picket to demand safe staffing and a fair contract! For months, CVPH healthcare workers have been bargaining for a fair contract that ensures quality patient care for North Country residents. Hospital administrators have recently made staffing standards less safe and are looking to cut healthcare workers’ health benefits. NYSNA nurses and healthcare professionals are demanding the hospital include enforceable safe staffing standards in the contract to protect safe, quality patient care. The informational picket received coverage in the Press Republican, WAMC, and ABC22/FOX44.

NYSNA members will not accept a contract that prioritizes profits over patients, so they took to the streets to make their demands heard. Labor and elected allies joined NYSNA members, including leaders from the Northeast Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, the Plattsburgh City Council and the Plattsburgh Town Council. Check out photos and videos of the picket on our Facebook page. Keep up the great work, CVPH healthcare workers!

Nurses Week Celebrations Continue

NYSNA is celebrating the power of nurses throughout the month of May! Check out photos from our latest Nurses Week celebrations across the state!

Montefiore Nurses Demand Respect During Nurses Week

There’s no better time than Nurses Week to take action and call for the respect that nurses deserve — that’s why Montefiore nurses stickered up this week to demand “Respect, Not Retaliation.” In tandem with their sticker action, Monte nurses also signed petitions pressing management to remove a nursing director — who was openly disrespectful to NYSNA nurses during our historic New York City nurse strike — from union meetings. In addition to their demands for respect, nurses are also pushing to extend overtime pay to nurse practitioners (NPs) throughout the Montefiore Bronx Health System, a fight carried over from the bargaining table back into the facility. NPs are the last group at Monte who don’t earn time and a half for working past their shift hours. Management agreed to continue talks on NP overtime pay during the strike resolution, so nurses are taking action to show how strongly NYSNA members feel about fixing this injustice!

BronxCare Nurses Hunt for Missing PTO

At the BronxCare Nurses Week celebration, NYSNA members broke out magnifying glasses: Nurses are on the hunt for missing paid time off (PTO). During recent contract negotiations, management agreed to establish a special bank for additional paid time off, but nurses have yet to see management implement this benefit. In response, hundreds of nurses signed petitions to demand that management honor its previous commitment and give nurses the PTO they’ve earned. Keep up the pressure, BronxCare nurses, and hold management to its word!

NYSNA Leaders Attend New York City Central Labor Council Annual Awards Reception

On Thursday, May 14, NYSNA leaders — including NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN; First Vice President Dr. Judith Cutchin, DNP, RN; Treasurer Petar Lovric, BSN, RN, CPEN, CCRN; Secretary Michelle Jones, MSN, RN, ANPC; Director at Large Flandersia Jones, DrPH, RN; and NYSNA Executive Director Pat Kane, RN, CNOR(e) — attended the New York City Central Labor Council’s Annual Awards Reception. This year, the reception honored Vincent Alvarez, the former New York City Central Labor Council (CLC), AFL-CIO president who stepped down last summer after 14 years leading the nation’s largest regional labor federation. As the CLC’s first full-time president and first Latinx president, Alvarez led a restructured and reinvigorated federation that, together with CLC affiliates, helped shape a truly unified citywide labor movement.

Mount Sinai South Nassau Nurses Launch Community Petition

This week, NYSNA nurses at Mount Sinai South Nassau launched a community petition to build support as they bargain for their first contract. Since Mount Sinai took over the community hospital, administrators have been focused on boosting executive pay and revenue for the corporate Mount Sinai Health System — not focused on the patients or the nurses who deliver quality care on Long Island. Nurses have had enough and are taking the campaign into their community to ensure that hospital administrators settle a contract that ensures safe, quality care for Long Island residents. Show your support for South Nassau nurses by signing their petition.

NYSNA Members Attend CBTU Convention

NYSNA leaders attended the 55th International Convention of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) in Atlanta this week, where NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, BSN, RN, CCRN, was elected to the CBTU Executive Council as a Director at Large! The convention brings together Black trade unionists and allies from around the country to strategize on how to build the movement for economic and racial justice. NYSNA members were excited to meet with CBTU and AFSCME President Rev. Terrence Melvin and other union leaders to discuss the federal attack on unions and workers’ rights and how to fight back.

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!

Save the Date: 2026 NYSNA Convention

Save the date for the 2026 NYSNA Convention! This year, NYSNA members will gather for Convention on Oct. 26 and 27, at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York City. Download and share the flyer, and stay tuned for more information!

Save the Date: NYC Pride March

Save the date for the 2026 New York City Pride March! On June 28, join NYSNA nurses as we celebrate pride, diversity and union solidarity! Download and share the flyer.

Save the Date: NYC Puerto Rican Day Parade

Save the date for the 2026 New York City Puerto Rican Day Parade! Join the vibrant celebration of culture and community on Sunday, June 14, 2026. March with your fellow NYSNA nurses along Fifth Avenue to honor the rich heritage and contributions of Puerto Ricans across the country!

Summer 2026 Labor Education Trainings Open for Registration

NYSNA’s Labor Education Department offers workshops to members on how to become more engaged in the union’s work. For more information, please visit the NYSNA Labor Education webpage.

The Summer 2026 Labor Education schedule is ready! Join members from across the union to learn about NYSNA and the labor movement, your legal rights as union members, 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!

Finally, please email [email protected] directly if you have questions or to schedule a workshop in your facility.

Protesting Your Assignment Self-Guided Course

Just in time for Nurses’ Week, NYSNA’s Nursing Education and Practice department has a new “Protesting Your Assignment” self-guided course. Click here to read more about the course and how you can use protests of assignment to improve safe, quality healthcare. To access the course, go directly to the E-LearRN website.

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.

NEW: Infectious Disease Update: Hantavirus, Ebola and Measles

Two big, scary infectious diseases have been in the news lately — hantavirus and Ebola. While neither currently presents a risk in the U.S., healthcare facilities should always be ready for both predictable and unpredictable emergent conditions. Measles outbreaks continue throughout the U.S., including 27 outbreaks so far in 2026 alone. Read the full update from Health+Safety about symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, infection control protections and other resources on these infectious diseases.

New Report Details Rising Tide of Gun Violence in Healthcare Settings

A new report from researchers at the Mayo Clinic documents the continued rise in the number of healthcare-based shootings in the United States. NYSNA nurses know this to be true: In recent years, shootings have taken place at Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, BronxCare, Westchester County Medical Center, Erie County Medical Center, Ellenville Regional Hospital, NYC Health+Hospitals/Jacobi Medical Center and outside the emergency department of Mount Sinai Hospital. That’s why nurses are taking action to implement protections against workplace violence at the facility, local and state levels. Read more about the new report and NYSNA’s contract and legislative victories on workplace violence here.

Inclement Weather Preparedness Guide

Massive unprecedented rainstorms, wildfires and smoke exposure, higher temperatures and larger snowstorms… is your employer ready for the new reality of severe weather events? Many NYSNA employers are not. Check out the latest from NYSNA Health and Safety, a new guide spelling out what our employers need to do before, during and after severe weather hits. The guide walks through the steps employers should take to be better prepared for severe weather, and it specifically addresses the many issues that arise for nurses during these events.

NYSNA is forming an Emergency/Disaster Preparedness committee and is seeking representation from each NYSNA facility. NYSNA Health and Safety will lead the committee, with the goal of encouraging collaboration and information sharing between NYSNA facilities. Sign up to join and learn more information!

Combatting Workplace Violence

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.

Learn more about a new state law that will soon require hospitals and nursing homes to conduct workplace violence assessments and create workplace violence prevention plans. And learn more about how NYSNA members have used their collective bargaining agreements to improve safety.

Nurses on Ebola: Trump’s CDC Is Too Weak to Respond to Outbreaks, Leaving Working People Everywhere at Risk

With a new Ebola outbreak announced in the Democratic Republic of Congo on May 15 and declared an international public health emergency just two days later, on top of the recent Andes hantavirus cruise ship outbreak, National Nurses United (NNU) — the nation’s largest union of registered nurses — is sounding the alarm on the Trump administration’s bungled response to emerging infectious diseases. Nurses know stopping outbreaks takes strong public health care systems, global cooperation and support for frontline healthcare workers. Trump’s attacks on all of these have left our country less prepared to respond in this critical moment. Read NNU’s full statement.

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:

• “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”

• “Some Cuts Don’t Heal: Protecting the Right to Care”

• “Immigrant Justice, Global Migration, and Public Health”

2026-2027 Learning Needs Assessment Survey for NYSNA Nurses and Advanced Clinical Practitioners

The 2026-2027 Learning Needs Assessment Survey is now available and helps NYSNA Nursing Education and Practice (NEP) understand nurses’ learning and professional development needs to improve patient care, workplace safety, job satisfaction and union strength. Please take a moment to complete this confidential survey to directly inform NEP’s future programs and the offerings we develop. We sincerely appreciate your time and insights.

2027 Seminar at Sea — Registration Now Open

Registration for the 2027 Seminar at Sea is now open! Join NYSNA members for an exclusive program that combines professional development with an unforgettable Mediterranean cruise experience. Enjoy expert-led sessions, meaningful networking and premium accommodations while exploring stunning destinations. Learn more about the course here.

Spots are limited — register early.

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.

Applications for 2026-27 Senator Patricia K. McGee Nursing Faculty Scholarship Now Open

Attention registered nurses! The 2026-27 Senator Patricia K. McGee Nursing Faculty Scholarship application is now available.

This scholarship provides up to $20,000 per year for registered nurses licensed in New York state who are pursuing a graduate degree leading to a career as a nursing faculty or adjunct clinical faculty.

Eligibility highlights include:

• Enrollment in a graduate degree program that qualifies you to work as a nursing faculty or adjunct clinical faculty in New York state, in the year for which you are seeking an award.

• A minimum GPA of 3.0 if you have already completed at least one semester in a qualifying graduate program.

• Commitment to live and work in New York state as a nursing faculty or adjunct clinical faculty for four years.

• Recipients must complete the FAFSA and Tuition Assistance Program applications or DREAM Act application each year they are applying for aid.

Deadline:
June 18, 2026, for the 2026-27 academic year

For full eligibility details and to apply, please visit hesc.ny.gov/mcgee.

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 catalog 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