Why thousands of nurses in NYC are striking | Nightline

Understaffing is a big sticking point for many of the more than 7,000 nurses on strike from two of the city’s largest hospitals.

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[lucylucy]

As a CNA, that is why I left. You work 8 to 12 hrs, with no help, needy, sick and challenging patients and 7 to 12 patients all by yourself that need baths, feedings, changing, room cleaning and so forth. Lack of staffing is affecting everyone in those fields

[LStottmann]

Thank you to the nurses standing up for what’s right. Not only are nurses way overworked, but it’s extremely dangerous to have tired nurses filling in understaffed departments. It’s unfair for nurses and dangerous for the patients. The ratio needs to be closer!

[jennh]

The fact that the hospital offered to add 115 nurses to the ER alone, tells you how bad it is! How on earth are they running on a staff that is 115 nurses short?! That's is absolutely ridiculous

[tiffanyi]

I’m only 2 minutes in….GIVE THESE NURSES WHAT THEY WANT!!! When I was hospitalized for 2 months due to Preterm Labor, the only thing that kept me sane were the Labor and Delivery nurses. They are the ones who cared for me and spent the most time with me. And when the baby came, they were INVALUABLE. They taught me how to care for a newborn. I support the nurses! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[brendad]

As someone who spent 9 days in the hospital with the flu and pneumonia over Christmas in Oregon I sympathize with these nurses. Most are wonderful, compassionate and try to do their jobs well but it's difficult when they are understaffed. They are most definitely underpaid.

[TMarie]

I've been a "slave" nurse for 37 years, used and abused for most of these times. Never been unionized, but ALWAYS wanted that!! You go girls!!

[kk-iw]

Thank you to these nurses for doing everything they can to ensure safe patient ratios.This is a patient issue as much or more than it is an issue for nurses.

[crystaaalwong]

Reading all these comments warm my heart 🥹 i am a nurse at mt sinai who went on strike. i cant even explain how bad the conditions were inside (full house of 35 patients plus hallway patient with only 4 nurses. short staffed in CNA/PCA/PCT, kitchen, transporter etc so in addition to taking double the assignment we also have to be the auxiliary staff as well. last month i was charge nurse with 9 patients!! charge nurses aren't even supposed to have patients!!!) but so so happy that the public finally realized how money greedy this hospital is. i turned in my resignation day 1 of the strike & moving to california where staffing ratio is enforced by law! but grateful to be a part of this historical victory with NYSNA! ❤

[caitlinweiss]

When I switched my major from nursing to biology I thought my nursing friends would be disappointed but instead they congratulated me and said it was a smart move. If that doesn't tell you something is wrong, I don't know what will. We need to take care of our nurses.

[buglove]

I got my RN license in 1999 and went to work at a smaller hospital, but I love rural. My starting salary was 12.76 an hour 😳 I'm now disabled after a 20-year career in nursing. 17+ years in dialysis. I worked doubles took call for 96 hours at a time. I gave my life to the profession. I loved what I did and my pts very much. I miss it, these nurses are doing what should have been done years ago! Positive thoughts and vibes ✨️ 🖤✌️

[BKJay]

They have my I was hospitalized last year in ICU for an aneurysm in NYU. I loved the nurse who initially got me settled in my room. She had a sass and sense of humor and was also caring. My other nurse I adored. She was so sweet to me and spoke to me like I was “normal” I apologized and always thanked her whenever she checked on me or helped me. Being hospitalized can be lonely at times. I looked forward to seeing my nurses. Even when I got poked and prodded. Kindness and respect STILL goes a long way!!!

[teresabaxter]

Years ago I worked as a CNA ( Certified Nursing Assistant) we were assigned a Nurse one Nurse one CNA. Our job was to assist with patient care, we started our shift by giving bedbaths to those patients who could not get out of bed, ambulated patients to the showers for those who could ambulate we handed out all the breakfast/lunch/and dinner trays, and picked up all trays afterwards. We noted what each patient ate and charted it. We made the beds with clean linens, we emptied all bladder bags, and noted intake/outputs in the patients charts. We refilled bedside water pitchers, answered call lights, and if it required the NURSES attention we related that to the nurse and she handle it from there. But we did answer all the call lights. Seems to me that hospitals did away with CNAs and saddled the NURSES with all those extra duties

[annw]

I was an ICU RN for 38 years; and retired luckily before COVID. No union in AZ. These nurses are right. Unsafe staffing ratios, insufficient help, hurting your back bc you're trying to turn patients by yourself who are obese, and so much stress you can't even imagine. At other types of jobs, you can be busy, but you don't have to worry that your client will bleed to death if you go to the bathroom. I've worked 12-hr shifts without ever getting to pee or eat. The hospital and Medicare require ridiculous amounts of extra charting, mandated by people behind desks who never worked at the bedside, yet lecture you to "work smarter, not harder". And if anything bad happens to your patient, it's YOUR license on the line. These poor nurses had it even worse during COVID, and change needs to happen. The current nurses are aging out, and then where will we be?

[sparkle]

15/20 patients to one nurse and 500 vacancies?
PEOPLE SHOULD BE PISSED OFF!!!
What happened to all the pot banging?
Our nurses need RESPECT!
They need time to rest and rejuvenate.
I want a happy nurse on my bedside when I'm not well.
Hospitals are not a business only.
It should stay Healthcare. HMO's started this many years ago. It's not working.

[loveschool]

As a nurse my self, I can’t tell you how many days a week I can’t take a break to pee. The community shouldn’t be ok with this. People lined up in the hall way and patients can’t be seen for hours. This is not ok. They should put a cap on the executes making billions not the nurses making 1%

[chayaleahisrael]

My daughter is a nurse and a lawyer for nurses! I understand because I worked in the nursing field as well! I seen where nurses are burning out! These corporations are greedy instead of taking care of their nurses.

[SeychelleSunshine]

They have my full support.
As incredibly difficult as the decrease in staff will be, something must be done for them to truly be heard.
It's necessary for better patient care and employee work conditions in the long term.
Thank you for all that you do!

[shilling]

There is a shortage because we quit when we were forced to work with unsafe numbers of patients and didn't get to take any breaks. Corporate staffed short on units...on purpose, and it's criminal.

[theblondeone]

They are so brave - I stand with them as a fellow RN. Its not all about pay either, its about how difficult the job becomes when you are overwhelmed with patients. If you were a cook in a restaurant and everyday they suddenly said “youll be cooking for 300 guests today” wound that be ok with you?! They NEED maximum ratios ours is usually six:1 anymore and we might call safe harbor…

[legaciesnubia]

First of all let’s start with the Nursing Organization. Why is there not a universal nursing license. Where you can work in any state.