Nurses at New York City's public hospitals held a rally June 12 at city hall to call for adequate funding and safe staffing at facilities, the union representing them said.
"This is about making sure that we have an adequate public healthcare system in the city of New York that works both for the patient and for the nurses and the staff," Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., with the New York State Nurses Association, said in a news release.
The nurses — who say patient care is jeopardized because staffing levels are too low — hope a new labor contract will help the situation, according to CW-affiliate TV station WPIX. The nurses also say they are not paid adequately. Their last contract expired earlier this month.
Meanwhile, New York City's public hospital system, NYC Health + Hospitals Corp., said it's made strides.
"Nurses are the heart of NYC Health + Hospitals, which is why we have hired over 340 new nurses to make sure we deliver the safest and highest quality care possible," the system said via a statement obtained by WPIX." As part of our transformation, we have made significant investments in staffing to improve patient experience. We have a strong relationship with the New York State Nurses Association and look forward to working together to support our nurses."
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