Dear Friend,

NYSNA Celebrates Fourth of July

Happy Fourth of July from the New York State Nurses Association! We wish you a happy and safe Independence Day!

CVPH Healthcare Professionals Speak Out to Save the Adirondack Blood Donor Center

On Tuesday, June 30, NYSNA nurses and healthcare professionals from University of Vermont Health-Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (UVMH-CVPH) held a speak-out to save the Adirondack Blood Donor Center. Elected officials, including New York State Assembly Member Michael Cashman, labor allies and community members whose lives have been greatly impacted by the Center, joined members. ABC22 and NBC 5 covered the speak-out.

In early June, UVMH announced that it would be closing the Center and transferring responsibility for blood products to the Red Cross. The Center currently provides 95% of the blood used at UVMH’s New York-based hospitals. NYSNA members immediately recognized the threat to patient care that this closure would be and sprang into action. In just a few days, healthcare professionals collected over 1,000 signatures on a petition demanding that the Center remain open, and Tuesday’s speak-out was the next step in their plan to save this vital community resource.

NYSNA members at CVPH demanded UVMH keep essential healthcare services open in the North Country and deliver a fair contract with safe staffing. Keep up the great work, CVPH healthcare professionals!

Catholic Health/St. Charles Nurses Deliver 10-Day Strike Notice

This week, after months of bargaining, NYSNA nurses at Catholic Health/St. Charles Hospital delivered a 10-day strike notice to hospital management. Dozens of NYSNA nurses marched to hospital president James O’Conner’s office on Tuesday, June 30, to inform him of their intention to strike if management continues to drag its feet at the bargaining table. The strike is set to begin on Monday, July 13, unless management negotiates a fair agreement. Nurses’ strike notice delivery received coverage in Newsday, Patch and Crain’s.

Enforceable safe staffing language continues to be a key sticking point in negotiations. St. Charles administrators continue to frequently understaff nurses; even after nurses filed hundreds of complaints to enforce the safe staffing standards in their contract, a New York State Department of Health investigation found nearly 200 violations of the safe staffing law, and the hospital signed an agreement committing to hire and staff more nurses.

St. Charles nurses are fighting to include enforceable safe staffing language in their contract to hold their hospital accountable in the future and to ensure that they can continue to provide safe, quality care for their community. Don’t give up the fight, St. Charles nurses!

Nurses and Allies Hold Virtual Town Hall to Fight Back Against Montefiore Replacing Nurses With AI

On Wednesday, July 1, NYSNA nurses held a virtual town hall to push back on Montefiore’s plan to lay off nurses and replace them with an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered software. Earlier this year, Montefiore announced a plan to lay off utilization nurses who use decades of bedside experience and clinical judgement to review insurance denials and ensure that patients get the care they need covered by insurance.

Several elected officials joined nurses on the town hall meeting, including New York State Senator Nathalia Fernandez and Assembly Members Karines Reyes, Jeffrey Dinowitz and Amanda Septimo. New York City Council Member and Labor Chair Shirley Aldebol called on healthcare systems to cancel the layoffs and stop attempting to replace nurses with unproven technology that might compromise patient care. Gothamist, WNYC and Crain’s covered the town hall.

Montefiore nurses at the town hall were also concerned about the company that management chose to replace the utilization nurses: Datavant, a private-equity-backed tech company with ties to Palantir and a history of data breaches. Keep up the fight to protect union jobs and patient care, Montefiore nurses!

NYSNA Nurses at Terrence Cardinal Cooke Nursing Home Take Action for a Fair Contract

This week, NYSNA nurses at Terrence Cardinal Cooke nursing home ramped up their fight for a fair contract! On Wednesday, July 1, they took their demands directly to management by delivering a petition for a fair contract during bargaining. Chief among nurses' demands is maintaining their healthcare benefits; while TCC nurses are currently a part of the NYSNA Benefit Fund, hospital administrators are proposing a move to ArchCare, their employer-provided healthcare plan, which would drastically increase premiums for nurses. Nurses delivered the petition to management to let them know that frontline healthcare workers need affordable benefits, and that they would not settle a contract without them. TCC nurses are also escalating their campaign by conducting sticker actions in the nursing home and wearing their red NYSNA scrubs every day until a fair contract is settled. Great work, TCC nurses!

U.S. Department of Education Restores “Professional Program” Status for Advanced Nursing Degrees

On Monday, June 29, the U.S. Department of Education issued a revised rule restoring nursing-related advanced degrees’ status as “professional programs,” which the Trump administration stripped earlier this year. This means that nurses are, once again, able to take out higher federal student loans, making the pathway to an advanced nursing degree much more affordable — a victory for both nurses and patients.

But this victory may only be temporary. The Trump administration has already indicated its intent to challenge and appeal the ruling. NYSNA remains committed to ensuring that nursing degrees keep their “professional” status and that the path to an advanced nursing degree is open to those who choose to pursue it. Stay tuned for more updates.

NYSNA Nurses Celebrate Pride Across New York State

In June, NYSNA nurses celebrated our LGBTQIA+ members and communities at Pride events across New York state. Check out the highlights from our Pride celebrations here.

President Hagans Joins New York State Elected Officials to Advocate for Haitian TPS Holders

On Monday, NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, BSN, RN, CCRN, stood alongside New York’s elected officials to advocate for justice for Haitian immigrants and for the U.S. Senate to pass S4814, a bill to designate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) after the Trump administration stripped its status last week. At the press conference, Hagans said: “NYSNA is in solidarity with Haitian TPS holders — our long-time colleagues, patients and neighbors — who have been unfairly targeted by the Trump administration. Immigrants are essential to our healthcare system, and New York must remain a place that values, protects and welcomes people from Haiti and other countries in humanitarian crisis.”

Read NYSNA’s statement in response to the termination of Haitian TPS here.

Register for the 2026 NYSNA Convention

Online registration is now open 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. You can register and save your spot today. After you register, you’ll receive information to reserve your room if you’re staying on-site. Download and share the registration flyer that has the schedule and course listings. Check out the NYSNA website for our Convention Delegate reimbursement policy, guidelines for submitting resolutions and more.

Save the Date: NYC Dominican Day Parade

Join NYSNA nurses on Sunday, Aug. 9, for a celebration of Dominican heritage and culture at the NYC Dominican Day Parade! RSVP today, and download and share the flyer.

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 program is well underway! In our next statewide workshop on Thursday, July 9, we’ll cover some basic rights workers have when organizing and engaging in union activity without fear of retaliation. For the rest of July and August, join members from across the union to learn 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! Please register here.

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

Protesting Your Assignment Self-Guided Course

NYSNA’s Nursing Education and Practice department has a new “Protesting Your Assignment” self-guided course. 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.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Memorial Scholarships

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Memorial provides scholarships of $6,000 per academic year to qualified applicants. The applicant must meet one of these criteria:

1. A child or dependent receiving workers’ compensation death benefits due to the loss of a parent.

2. The child of an injured worker who is receiving workers’ compensation benefits for:

a. Permanent total disability

b. Permanent partial disability OR

c. Other serious work-related injury that resulted in approval for Social Security Disability benefits

3. An injured worker who meets the above requirements

A school official must nominate scholarship applicants, and scholarships are paid directly to the qualified college or university. Learn more here.

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 30 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.

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”

Upcoming July Workshops—Register Today!

We are excited to invite you to join our upcoming continuing education workshops, designed to support your professional growth and certification preparation.

These workshops are free of cost for all NYSNA members. They are held online via NYSNA E-LeaRN (with Zoom sessions occurring 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day).

July Workshops:

• July 7-8: Heart Failure Nursing Certification Review

• July 7-8: Pediatric CCRN Certification Review

• July 14: Introduction to Telehealth for Nurses

• July 15-16: Maternal Newborn Certification Review

• July 22-23: Trauma Care Certification Review

Space is limited — please register as soon as possible on NYSNA E-LeaRN.

Deadline Reminder: 2026 Secor Scholarship Applications Due on July 10

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.

The application deadline is July 10, 2026. Click on this flyer for more information, and visit https://www.nysna.org/nursing-practice/nysna-secor-scholarship to apply.

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.

Class attendance is open to the following only:

• NYSNA members

• NNU affiliate members

The cruise is open to public attendance; the restriction applies to the class/seminar.

Spots are limited — register early.

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.

NEW Discounted Online Degree Programs for NYSNA Members!

NYSNA members and their family members will soon be eligible for a 20% discount on online degree programs from Post University. Nursing programs offered include:

• Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN)

• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with five specializations

• RN to BSN/MSN

• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) with four leadership specializations

• Graduate Certificate in Infection Prevention and Control

• Master of Business Administration-Healthcare (MBA-Healthcare)

• MSN/MBA-Healthcare

Register today for a July 13 webinar to learn more about how to take advantage of this new opportunity for NYSNA members. Download and share the flyer for more information about the partnership.

NYSNA Life Insurance — It’s Time to Designate Your Beneficiary!

To ensure your loved ones receive your Basic MetLife insurance 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