Know Your Rights

We have an obligation to carry out the assignments we are given. But as patient advocates, we also have an obligation to report and try to correct unsafe assignments.

The union gives you a voice at work, but some managers don’t want to hear that voice — and they use harassment to try to silence you. The only sure solution is in our unity.

Before July 1, 2009, employers could and did force RNs to work excessive hours, which led to less safe conditions for delivering patient care. NYSNA fought for and won a law to ban mandatory overtime for many nurses.

Workplace violence is an epidemic in healthcare facilities. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), nurses and direct care aides experience more violence than any other hospital personnel.