NY Nurse: Summer 2023

NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, was honored to be the grand marshal of this year’s New York City Central Labor Council Labor Day Parade, which brings together union members from every sector of New York City’s labor movement.

On July 31, public-sector nurses in New York City won a contract with historic pay increases that put them on par with private hospital nurse salaries. This was a massive victory for NYC Health+Hospitals (H+H)/Mayorals members, who are mostly people of color serving an underserved patient population...

For the nurse, who is not able to see the patient fully, take vital signs, or use all their senses and observational skills to make a proper assessment, their role in the admission process is more akin to a call center agent than a caring healthcare professional.

Growing up with two daughters, Beyoncé’s music was inescapable in my house. I had a particular song of hers running through my head after seeing the NYC Health+Hospitals (H+H) / Mayorals Bargaining Committee and particularly the women of the Executive Council bring home a contract victory for pay parity and safe staffing. I was feeling so proud and inspired, I was singing, “Who runs the world? Girls!” I’m sure many members had their own girl power or people power anthems running through their heads when they heard the good news.