New York State Nurses Association endorses Maureen O’Connell for State Senate

Williston Park, N.Y. – Jan. 30, 2007 – The New York State Nurses Association today announced its endorsement of Maureen O’Connell to represent the 7th District in the New York State Senate. A special election is scheduled for Feb. 6.

At a news conference this morning, NYSNA President Verlia M. Brown praised O’Connell for her support of registered nurses and quality health care. Brown, who works as a head nurse in a critical care unit at Kings County Medical Center, is a resident of Nassau County.

“Maureen herself is a registered nurse and was a champion for RNs and health care during her six years in the State Assembly,” Brown said. “She understands nurses’ crucial role in patient safety and backed our efforts to ensure there are enough registered nurses in our hospitals and nursing homes.”

In endorsing O’Connell, the NYSNA Board of Directors noted her leadership in creating an Assembly Minority Committee on the Nursing Shortage. The committee held hearings in various parts of the state and made valuable recommendations for building the nurse workforce.

Joanne Lapidus-Graham, a NYSNA member and president of the Nurses Association of the Counties of Long Island, noted that in 2005, O’Connell worked with local nurses to develop a program to prevent adolescents from drinking and driving. “She has been an effective advocate for health care in the district,” she said.

“Support from the state nurses association is important to me both personally and professionally. I began my career as a registered nurse and wherever my life takes me, I will always be a nurse,” said O’Connell. “As a State Assemblywoman, I was able to utilize my nursing experience to improve on New York’s healthcare system and bolster the state’s nursing profession. As a State Senator I will continue my fight to make quality health care more affordable and accessible for every New Yorker. I am deeply honored by this endorsement.”

With more than 34,000 members, NYSNA is the oldest and largest state nurses’ association in the nation. It is an influential union for RNs, representing nurses in New York and New Jersey. Offering a wide range of services to its members, NYSNA fosters high standards of nursing education and practice and works to advance the profession through legislative activity. It is a constituent of the American Nurses Association and of the United American Nurses, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO.

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