Latest COVID-19 Updates
- NEW! 07-26-2024: COVID-19 Leave Rights
- 10-23-2023: COVID/ Flu/ RSV Guide
- 04-21-2023: Long Covid Guide
- 03-02-2022: Health + Safety Alert!– NYSNA Demands Employers Comply With Expanded Isolation Protocols
- 02-17-2022: NYSNA Statement on the Booster Mandate
- 02-15-2022: Member Benefits and Discounts: COVID-19
- 12-31-2021: Omicron Crisis Resources
- 01-07-2022: NYS COVID Sick Leave FAQs
- 12-30-2021: Omicron Crisis Demands
- 05-21-2021: Position Statement on CDC Mask Guidance
- 03-01-2021: COVID-19 Vaccine - Frequently Asked Questions (.pdf)
- 02-05-2021: Health + Safety Alert!: Counterfeit N95s’-The N95 manufacturer 3M is reporting cases of counterfeit equipment circulating in the U.S. They have identified impacted models; download this Informational Flier for details.
- 12-30-2020: Position Statement: On the COVID-19 Vaccine
- 07-07-2020: Your Rights Under COVID-19 Sick Leave
- 06-08-2020: COVID-19 & Workers Compensation Q&A: June 2020
- 06-08-2020: NYS Workers Compensation Attorneys and Representatives
- 05-29-2020: NYSNA: COVID-19 Update - May 29
- 05-13-2020: The Way to Honor Nurses: Listen to Our Advice
- 05-07-2020: RNs wanted for New York State Contact Tracer Jobs
- 05-07-2020: “What Frontline Nurses Need Before New York Reopens”
- 05-01-2020: “Getting off the N95 Treadmill: Transitioning to Reuseable Respirators”
- 04-27-2020: COVID-19 Related Workers Compensation Notice
- 04-26-2020: On Workers Memorial Day, NYSNA Honors Fallen Nurses
- 04-23-2020: “Defending Our Patients in Long Term Care”
- 04-20-2020: Wall Street Journal Reports on NYSNA Lawsuits
- 04-20-2020: Release: NYS Nurses Association files three lawsuits to protect Nurses Health and Safety
- 04-20-2020: Upstate COVID Nurses Corps: Volunteer Today!
- 04-18-2020: NYSNA: COVID-19 Update: April 18
- 04-17-2020: PPE Hotline for H + H Nurses
- 04-16-2020: MED-ED online learning special offers: A free Online Webinar, “Care of the Patient with Mechanical Ventilation” and free access for NYSNA Members to MED-ED Online Courses from Now until June 16, 2020. Click HERE for more information.
- 04-16-2020: Health and Safety Bulletin: Respirator Decontamination is Unproven and Unsafe
- 04-14-2020: NYSNA: COVID-19 Update: April 14
- 04-13-2020: Right to COVID Paid Sick Leave FAQs
- 04-13-2020: NYS Directive on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- 04-13-2020: Important Health and Safety Bulletin - Latest Science Demonstrates Possibility of Airborne Transmission of COVID-19
- 04-13-2020: Statement from the NYS Nurses Association regarding PPE protocols
- 04-10-2020: Med/Surg and ICU Virtual Trainings
- 04-09-2020: COVID-19 Resources
- 04-09-2020: NYSNA and U.S. Nurses Unions Demand Protections Now
- 04-08-2020: Flier: Cuomo Issues Executive Order to Commandeer PPE
- 04-06-2020: Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Testing for RNs (.pdf)
- 04-06-2020: Filing COVID-related OSHA/PESH Complaints (.pdf)
- See all COVID updates
In Memoriam: Fallen NYSNA Nurses
- UPDATED 01-04-2022: Tributes to NYSNA Nurses… fallen victims of COVID-19
Reopening Responsibly
We know that the Governor, our state and local lawmakers, and most New Yorkers are anxious to lift the COVID-19 emergency measures. But New York was unprepared for the first COVID-19 outbreak, and we can never let that happen again. NYSNA has a plan for moving New York forward and reopening responsibly:
- NYSNA COVID Resurgence Plan
- What is Your Facility doing to prepare for the next COVID wave?
- Safety Plan for Hospitals to reopen elective procedures and ensure the safety of both staff and patients
- Reopening, Responsibly
- Full five-page report: “What Frontline Nurses Need Before New York Reopens”
- Two page Report Summary
Stay connected & report unsafe conditions
- 07-07-2020: Step-by-step Guide for filing for Workers Compensation
- 04-27-2020: COVID-19 Related Workers Compensation Notice
- Share YOUR COVID-19 Story to demand PPE NOW!
- Text “COVID” to 877-877 to sign up for NYSNA COVID text alerts.
- Document your day to protect yourself, patients, and practice with the new COVID Daily Diary. Get started now.
- Download and complete NYSNA’s COVID-19 Protest of Assignment.
COVID-19 Action Team Trainings
NYSNA members across the state are standing up and fighting back in order to protect the safety of patients and frontline nurses during the COVID-19 crisis.
We are launching a series of special workshops to support members who are stepping up to advocate for their colleagues and collectively address the critical issues facing frontline nurses, including PPE, testing, staffing, safe workplaces, and fair treatment. Sign up for a session today!
Unleash the Defense Production Act
Every day, nurses and healthcare workers are being sent into battle without armor. And while we’ve been forcefully demanding help from New York State, COVID-19 has become a full-scale national emergency.
Our union has launched a major push to demand that President Trump come to New York and see for himself the conditions we are working under -- and take immediate action to protect healthcare workers.
- Sign the online petition, demanding action from President Trump and Congress.
- Download the campaign flyer.
- Read the frequently-asked questions.
- Turn up the heat and share your story online.
PPE Standards
NYSNA continues to push back against relaxed PPE standards by the CDC, the New York Department of Health, and our employers. NYSNA’s position is that anyone treating COVID-positive patients and PUIs needs adequate PPE, which includes:
- A fit-tested N95 (or higher level) respirator
- A liquid-repellent or impermeable gown
- Gloves
- Face shield or non-vented goggles
Disposable respiratory protection should be worn for a single patient care session and should not be reused!
Other Health and Safety Resources
- 10-22-2020: Influenza + COVID-19 = A Double Crisis for the Fall and Winter?
- 05-01-2020: “Getting off the N95 Treadmill: Transitioning to Reuseable Respirators”
- 04-17-2020: PPE Hotline for H + H Nurses
- 04-16-2020: Health and Safety Bulletin: Respirator Decontamination is Unproven and Unsafe
- 04-14-2020: Health and Safety Bulletin: What to do if your facility implements respirator “cleaning”
- 04-13-2020: Important Health and Safety Bulletin - Latest Science Demonstrates Possibility of Airborne Transmission of COVID-19
- 04-07-2020: Check out NYSNA’s new publication, Rules of the Road: Getting and Conserving Respirators and other Protective Equipment. It’s an important guide for frontline staff during the COVID-19 crisis.
- 04-06-2020: Better PPE Alternatives (.pdf)
- 04-06-2020: Filing COVID-related OSHA/PESH Complaints (.pdf)
- “Relaxed Quarantine Rules put Workers, Patients and Community at Risk”
- Using Ventilation to Protect Healthcare Workers and Patients
- 03-18-2020: Health and Safety Update
- Home Health Resources
- Is your facility prepared? Check out the Coronavirus checklist
Nursing Practice Alerts
- Practice Alert: Proper Positioning for Swabbing Nasopharyngeal Area Affects Reliability of COVID-19 Tests
- Practice Alert: Increased Scope of Practice for Nurse Practitioners During COVID-19 Pandemic
- Practice Alert: Increased Scope of Practice for Advanced Practice Nurses and Registered Professional Nurses
- On March 23, Governor Cuomo suspended certain provision of state law and regulations that impact nursing practice in order to cope with the COVID-19 emergency. This fact sheet summarizes how the Executive Order changes legal liability for malpractice and record keeping, among other changes in effect until April 22, 2020. (03-28-2020)
Resources for Nurses
- 04-16-2020: MED-ED online learning has announced two special offers for NYSNA Members: A free Online Webinar, “Care of the Patient with Mechanical Ventilation” and free access for NYSNA Members to MED-ED Online Courses from Now until June 16, 2020. Click HERE for more information.
- Nurses House and the American Nurses Foundation are partnering with “Help for Nurses Nationwide Affected by COVID-19”. Through July 31, 2020, Nurses House will be accepting applications from Registered Nurses unable to work due to a COVID-19 infection, who are caring for a family member with COVID-19, or who are under mandatory quarantine. Find out more HERE.
- NYSNA's Union Assistance Program offers members and our immediate family members unlimited telephone counseling and more than 25,000 online resources. Find out more here.
