After a long six weeks of picketing in the bitter cold, nurses at the NewYork-Presbyterian hospital system in New York City have come to an agreement with their administrations, according to a statement released by the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA).
The strike began on Jan. 12, when 15,000 nurses walked out of their jobs with demands of increased wages, better security against patient violence, strengthened health benefits, and higher staffing ratios.
NewYork-Presbyterian was the last to hold out on a contract for striking nurses; just over 10,000 nurses reached agreements earlier this month at some hospital systems, such as Mount Sinai and Montefiore. The remaining 4,000 will return to work within the next week.
The new contract, which ninety-three percent of nurses agreed upon, includes provisions for a twelve-percent wage increase over the next three years, health benefit protections, workplace security, safer staffing ratios, protections for immigrant nurses and patients, and, for the first time ever, safeguards surrounding artificial intelligence.
Unfortunately, workplace violence is extremely common in the healthcare sector. An overwhelming number of nurses in the United States—over eighty percent, to be exact—have reported instances of violence on the job just within the past year.
But the phenomenon is not limited to hospitals in big cities like New York. Violence can happen anywhere, and anyone can be affected. And in nursing? It seems inevitable.
Dr. John Mikovits, an assistant professor of nursing at Moravian, strives to prepare his students for when this happens in their future careers.
“[W]e have had many conversations about advocacy,” he commented. He tells his students that it’s important to advocate “not only for your patients, but also for yourself.”
And that was exactly what the nurses on strike were doing. He commended them, saying that nurses “have been taken advantage of and underappreciated for all that we provide to make healthcare … function, [all] while providing incredible care.”
In one of his senior nursing classes, Mikovits recently showed an episode of “The Pitt,” a medical drama that centers on a bustling emergency room in Pittsburgh. It’s the most accurate a television show can get to “the realities of healthcare,” he said. It’s more effective to supplement their conversations with “real-world examples” of workplace violence and staffing shortages, rather than just having a discussion.
Madison Snyder ‘26, a nursing major, has recounted her experiences of patient hostility working as a patient tech in a residential care facility. She has been verbally attacked, witnessed violence, and had to engage in de-escalation tactics.
Snyder will be working at St. Luke’s Bethlehem as a critical care nurse after she graduates in May. “The best thing that can be done for nurses,” she said, “is an increase in support that can prevent and de-escalate hostile situations.” In her experience, staff safety has not been a top priority.
Staffing issues, cited as one of the main concerns of NYSNA in the strike, impact the level of care patients receive. The strike, many nurses said, was not only about the nurses but also about the safety and health of their patients.
Burnout has run rampant among hospital staff, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing many nurses into early retirement. The new contract, hopefully, will help lessen burnout and improve patient care.
“Nurses are the backbone of our health care system,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul, in a statement commenting on the end of the strike. Many across New York City, as well as the nation, are hopeful that the new contract will reflect the respect and dignity that nurses deserve.
