NYSNA Rose Vigil for Safe Patient Care at TCC

18 RN positions to be eliminated, diminishing patient care

NEW YORK , November 14, 2008 - Community members and RNs will assemble in front of Terence Cardinal Cooke Medical Center (TCC) on Monday, November 17, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., to protest the job elimination of 18 RNs. The hospital is on Fifth Avenue between 105 and 106 streets.

These job eliminations will leave the fragile patients of TCC with diminished care. The RNs are slated to be replaced with less highly trained LPNs, who by law are not qualified to assess the condition of patients, develop and adjust nursing care plans, administer certain treatments and medications, or function independently of an RN or other authorized professional.

“Many TCC patients require the level of care that only a registered nurse can provide,” said Christina Terranova, RN, nursing representative for the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA). “We are concerned that this is only the first phase in a long-term plan to replace RNs with LPNs, to the danger of the patients we serve.”

Over 100 TCC NYSNA nurses held a previous vigil, chanting and singing, on the rainy night of November 5.
TCC is a member of the Catholic Health Care System. Each nurse will carry a pink rose to place in front of the statue of the Madonna.

TCC is a long term care facility treating patients with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, AIDS and Huntington’s disease, and also children and adults with severe development disabilities.

The New York State Nurses Association is the voice for nursing in the Empire State. With more than 36,000 members, it is the state's largest union and professional association for registered nurses. It supports nurses and nursing practice through education, research, legislative advocacy, and collective bargaining.

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