NEW YORK NURSE: October 2011
In a stirring speech that stressed NYSNA’s continued commitment to service to members, new NYSNA President Winifred Kennedy called on members to believe in the power of hope, despite the tough times that nurses, and our nation, are facing.
Kennedy, who is known as Winnie among her friends and colleagues, is NYSNA’s 49th president and a veteran nurse at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn. In her convention speech, she referenced the Greek myth of Pandora’s Box to bring her message of hope.
The Greek goddess Pandora was presented a beautiful wedding gift by Zeus - but then told to never open it. Unable to resist, Pandora opened the box, unleashing a torrent of pain on the world, but remaining in the bottom of the box was hope.
Kennedy finds parallels in today’s world, “In modern times, we may not speak of plagues but we do speak of economic downturns, layoffs and hospital closures, the litigious nature of our society and leaders who only care for their own profit and gain,” she said.
Despite these adversities, Kennedy reminded NYSNA members that, “Hope is there in the darkest times when we need it the most. It gives us the capacity for empathy that we need as nurses, to be able to identify with and join with others’ suffering... to be able to act and intervene.”
In that spirit of hope and activism, she urged members to “hope and work for a time when NYSNA has fulfilled our vision of being the voice for all nurses...we can continue to look forward to a time when we see all the fruits of our efforts to ensure there is access to health care for all... let us go forward together because it is good for our legacy to nursing.”
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“As someone who practiced as a staff nurse for my entire career, I understand the importance of the work of nursing,” said Karen A. Daley, president of the American Nurses Association, during her Friday address. “I also understand that being a nurse today is more difficult and challenging than ever.” Daley shared a brief update on ANA’s work, including its efforts to eliminate manual patient handling, reduce workplace violence, mandate safe staffing, limit exposure to harmful chemicals, and ensure that healthcare reform reflects the intent and is inclusive of nursing. “I believe that nurses deserve a safe, healthy work environment. Nurses shouldn’t need to worry that they will go to work one day and sustain a life-changing injury. I believe that ALL of these goals are within our reach,” she said.
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The term “legacy” can mean objects that are left in a will, but it also has a much deeper meaning, said NYSNA CEO Tina Gerardi in her annual address to the Voting Body.
Gerardi described “ethical wills,” which in Jewish tradition pass on to the next generation the gift of wisdom and good wishes, conveying values, convictions, and hopes.” They describe the “insights and intuitions that define who we are and tell the world what we stand for and what we think is important. Because they are about ethics, they also can become a moral compass that helps loved ones navigate their way to worthy and happy lives.”
“What would you put in your ethical will to the Nurses Association?” Gerardi asked.
“This year, the 110th anniversary of the founding of the New York State Nurses Association, is one of great accomplishments, albeit tempered by setbacks, which in turn, should serve to galvanize the membership to act and speak for nurses and for our profession not only in the workplace, but in the greater public arena as well.”
Gerardi cited passages from NYSNA’s articles of incorporation and bylaws stating that NYSNA is a multi-purpose professional association that acts and speaks for all nurses and the profession of nursing. “Some have suggested that there is only an either/or solution to determining NYSNA’s identity. They say that the question to be asked is whether NYSNA is a professional association dedicated to advancing nursing or an organization engaged in collective bargaining to protect and promote nurses’ interests in their employment relations.
The answer is simple. It is, can, and should always be, both!”
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“Do we, as nurses and healthcare professionals, predispose ourselves to workplace violence?” asked Kelly McLean, an RN from Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) during her address to the NYSNA Congress of Bargaining Unit Leaders. “We do, whether we know it or not. We know it’s not intentional, but it does happen.”
Part of the convention’s “Labor Day” program, McLean discussed her experience of being assaulted by a patient in August 2010, her months of recovery, and the obstacles she faced when returning to work. She also talked about the recent attack on another ECMC RN that occurred just weeks before.
McLean noted that the problem of violence isn’t particular to this Buffalo facility. Hospital administrators industry-wide often lose sight of the need to prevent or handle violent situations. For example, such incidents can happen when units are short staffed or are without necessary security. She urged RNs to insist that their hospitals do more to anticipate such situations and make comprehensive plans for dealing with them.
Such plans should also insist on fair treatment of the RNs who were involved. McLean noted that, in her case, medical center administration treated her with disregard – deliberately not consulting her in its post-event analysis, and not providing time for proper recovery, accommodation for transition back to work, and even insinuating the attack was her fault.
Continuing to be an advocate for preventing workplace violence and for helping RNs who may become victims, McLean encouraged RNs to have the courage to demand that violence not be part of the job. “If you don’t find it in yourself to stand up to healthcare administrators, then they’ve won.”
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NYSNA’s Resource Team followed McLean’s address with an educational session titled: “The Impact of Violence, Patterns of Aggression in the Healthcare Setting.” NYSNA Health and Safety Representative Thomas Lowe and Labor Education Director Carol Lynn Esposito joined McLean in providing an overview of the legal and contractual resources available to nurses in order to facilitate advocating for a safe and healthy work environment. Presenters noted that nurses rank second for risk of violence, healthcare workers are 16 times more likely to experience violence than other professionals, and the incidence of violence per 1,000 healthcare workers is almost twice that found in general industry.
NYSNA members gave accounts of their own experiences with violence, while others offered viable mitigation strategies that have worked in their setting. The hour-long presentation ended with a standing ovation in recognition of McLean’s courage to speak out.
Editor’s note: NYSNA’s 15th annual Seminar at Sea, “Violence in the Workplace: It’ not ‘just part of the job!’’’ will be presented by NYSNA Health and Safety Representative Thomas Lowe, Feb. 25 – March 3, 2012. Find more information on Seminar at Sea at nysna.org/ce/main.html#sas and additional resources for preventing and dealing with workplace violence at nysna.org/union/health_safety/violence.htm.
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A lively interactive plenary session titled: “Reflections and Revelations: NYSNA Past Presidents Share Their Knowledge,” gave nine past presidents an opportunity to share their perspectives on the past 40 years.
Panelists were Elaine E. Beletz, Nettie Birnbach, Verlia M. Brown, Mary E. Callan, Paul T. Hageman, Juanita K. Hunter, Cecilia F. Mulvey, Linda O’Brien, and Robert V. Piemonte. The session was moderated by Karen A. Ballard, who concluded her NYSNA presidency at this convention.
Piemonte cited the development of the 1972 New York State Nurse Practice Act as an important advancement to the profession brought about by NYSNA. “We needed to say what nurses really did. It was important to put this into law,” Piemonte said. “Our definition became the prototype for other state nurses associations.”
Panelists also shared their thoughts on topics such as the protections to practice and working conditions brought about through collective bargaining, the development of the political action committee, title protection and mandatory overtime legislation, the “Every Patient Deserves an RN” campaign, and the statewide peer assistance program (SPAN).
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Bob Kodzis kicked off the full convention Thursday afternoon with an upbeat and fun presentation on avoiding burnout by creating a work/life balance that works for each individual’s goals and desires. “The antidote for burnout is not rest,” Kodzis said, instead the antidote is “wholeheartedness.” Kodzis, the former marketing director at Orlando Health who now describes himself as an “artist, stand-up comedian, business owner, father, writer and husband,” said that creating a work life that energizes rather than drains, even in high-stress environments like nursing, is about focus. “Decide what work/life balance means to you, but it’s not one decision, it’s a billion little decisions,” Kodzis said. “Time is not money. Time is life. When you spend your time, you spend your life.”
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“In me, you have a longtime supporter of healthcare,” said Niagara Falls Mayor Paul A. Dyster during his Friday greeting to convention participants. In fact, a pavilion at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center offering services for women is named after his mother, Mary C. Dyster, who was an advocate for inner city women and children, and founder of the city’s Center for Young Parents. With such a background, Dyster started a task force through which the city partners with community organizations to encourage local residents to live healthier. “For all you do to help your patients,” he said, “you have a strong ally here in the City of Niagara Falls.”
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The five Practice Focus Groups (PFG) met at Convention to propose nursing practice issues for consideration for the Council on Nursing Practice’s (CNP). The PFG forums represented nursing specialties in family/maternal/child, public, gerontologic, adult, and behavioral health. Below is a summary of their action items.
Carlene Daley has been elected vice chairperson and Judith Kelly was elected member-at-large for the Family/Maternal/Child Health PFG. The group noted the sharp increase in childhood obesity and identified a need to collaborate with PTA groups to address the quality of school lunches and lack of exercise among children. Increased mentorship of new nurse graduates, collegiality in the workplace and the need for public education about the importance of immunizations were also discussed.
M. Nancy Cordaro was elected vice chairperson and Tanya Drake was elected member-at-large of this group. The group reported that the May 2011 Elder Abuse Prevalence Study, the largest of its kind in New York state, showed a dramatic gap between actual incidences of abuse, versus those reported. The Gerontological PFG is advocating for legislation requiring mandatory elder abuse recognition training. The need to better define the responsibilities of home care nursing was addressed and talking points will be requested for distribution at NYSNA’s 2012 Lobby Day.
Cecelia Pennyfeather was elected vice chairperson and Patricia Hurld was elected member-at-large for the Public Health PFG. The group identified the need to develop a disaster preparedness management position statement and suggested a continuing education track for global health care for NYSNA’s 2012 Biennial Conference. The Public Health PFG also plans to collaborate with the Council on Nursing Research to address the unmet needs of the homeless and their reluctance to seek healthcare services.
Kim Velez was elected vice chairperson and Shirley Garcia was elected member-at-large for the Adult Health PFG. The group discussed the benefits of and difficulties with electronic health records, additional criteria to include for staff ratio legislation and shared governance of direct care versus management. The grievance process was also reviewed and lack of reporting was cited for poor documentation of issues.
The Behavioral Health PFG elected Nathan Sull vice chairperson and Ari Moma member-at-large. The group reviewed the Council on Nursing Practice’s (CNP) action plan, as well as the use of chemical and physical restraints. The need to increase awareness of law enforcement regarding the Violence Against Nurses law was also discussed.
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Due to term limits, the vice president and secretary positions became vacant in 2011. In order to comply with the DA rules, which state the vice president and secretary are elected in even years, these two positions were elected for one-year terms.
The new leaders include:
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Convention’s “Labor Day” gave NYSNA members who are represented for collective bargaining an opportunity to meet with their colleagues from throughout the state to talk about the workplace and negotiating issues they have in common. During sessions of the Congress of Bargaining Unit Leaders and Delegate Assembly, members discussed the importance of increasing member involvement in local bargaining unit activities and in the association’s elected representative bodies.
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Congress President Susan Casadone welcomed participants to NYSNA’s annual “Labor Day” program.
Casadone, who is also president of the local bargaining unit at St. John’s Riverside Hospital in Yonkers, discussed how the labor movement has faced increased challenges during the past year, with anti-union legislation becoming law in Midwest states and opportunistic employers using the continuing recession as an excuse to break their unions. “We may be bruised,” she said, “but we are not beaten.”
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“The IOM report is a fabulous opportunity for all us in nursing,” said Linda Aiken during the convention’s endnote address on the significance of the October 2010 “Future of Nursing” report by the Institute of Medicine and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Aiken noted that this report will be referred to by policy makers and scientists and that its recommendations are based on the public’s interest.
“This report has a direct audience in the Congress of the United States,” Aiken said. “This report taps into a lot of the areas that nursing has been working on for a long time and the long term agenda we’ve had. Every recommendation was evidence based, according to mandate. Scientists can’t turn away from evidence.”
“They saw a growing body of evidence that having more baccalaureate trained nurses in a hospital is associated with better patient outcomes, safety, and quality of care,” Aiken said. “We need to run with that.”
She noted that based on the evidence, “it’s materially impossible to solve the impending shortage of nursing faculty without most nurses getting a BSN,” adding that it is up the nursing profession to help policy makers understand the connection between the nursing education, nursing faculty, and a resolution to the nursing shortage.
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New York State Senator John DeFrancisco was named recipient of the 2011 NYSNA Presidential Award.
The award was established to recognize someone who is not a nurse but has made significant contributions to the association and the profession of nursing.
Currently chair of the Senate Finance Committee, DeFrancisco has fought for patient rights, adequate funding for healthcare services, and transparency and accountability for healthcare providers. He has also been the leading advocate in the State Senate on nurse staffing issues and was the original sponsor of NYSNA’s Nursing Care Quality Protection Act (known as the “disclosure” bill). When the Governor proposed suspending the law as part of his proposed 2011 budget, DeFrancisco led the fight in the Senate to preserve the law. He has advocated for NYSNA’s staffing ratio legislation, leading to the bill being advanced out of the Senate Health Committee for the first time ever.
“It’s so important in our state to make sure there is patient safety, and not only nurses, but legislators realize that as well,” DeFrancisco said in a recorded video, as his duties required him to be elsewhere during convention. “It’s extremely important to have patient safety first and that's what you want to do, and that’s what I want to do. I’ll be looking forward to seeing you this next legislative session to make sure that there are other pieces of legislation that will help patient safety.”
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