New York Nurses Put Patients First

Albany, NY, April 17, 2007 –More than 1,400 registered nurses and nursing students attended the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) annual Lobby Day on April 17 at the New York State Capitol. They learned about legislation that affects nurses and attended face-to-face meetings with lawmakers to discuss these issues.

Violence prevention is a top legislative priority

Nursing is a surprisingly dangerous profession. Each year nearly 500,000 nurses become victims of violent crimes in their workplaces, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. A new bill promoted by NYSNA (A6186/S3441) would make it a Class C felony to assault and cause physical injury to a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse.

This provision already exists for assaults on police officers, peace officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians (EMTs). Raising the penalty for attacking a nurse will serve as a deterrent to such crimes, according to the one of the bill’s sponsor, State Senator Martin Golden (R-Brooklyn) “We have tried to protect other professionals who serve the public. We should do the same for nurses, who play such an important role in protecting the public’s health.”

NYSNA’s other legislative priorities this year include safe nurse staffing ratios (A6119/S1551), prohibiting mandatory overtime (A1898/S125), and promoting advanced education for RNs (A2480/S294).

Images: Lobby Day 2007

Please note: Click on the thumbnails below for a larger image

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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