REPORT: October/November 2006

LICH RNs use street fair to promote safe staffing

by Julie Semente

NYSNA members at Long Island College Hospital (LICH) in Brooklyn, currently engaged in difficult contract negotiations, wanted to inform the community about the importance of safe RN staffing and staffing-disclosure legislation.

But how best to go about it? The answer was right on their doorstep.

“Each September, the borough of Brooklyn hosts the ‘Atlantic Antic,’ an end-of-summer street festival that takes place on Atlantic Avenue, near the hospital,” said Julie Semente, corresponding secretary of the bargaining unit. “So we took advantage of the opportunity.”

They set up a booth at the festival, displaying the slogan: “RNs are the key to your good health.” Along with red-and-white key chains that were imprinted with the slogan, the nurses handed out NYSNA’s “Safe RN Staffing” pamphlets, literature on the staffing disclosure legislation, RN staffing ratio comparisons for the hospitals in the area, and other NYSNA healthcare education materials.

“Festival-goers were very interested,” Semente said, “and NYSNA’s booth was busy all day.” The nurses were asked many questions, not only about the staffing legislation, but also about nursing and NYSNA in general. “Many visitors stopped by to say they were in nursing school, or their sister or brother was about to become a nurse.” In the process, the nurses succeeded in obtaining hundreds of signatures on petitions calling for RN staffing disclosure legislation.

To every RN and nursing student who came by, they gave out information about NYSNA and the importance of becoming part of their state professional association.
LICH RNs extended invitations to NYSNA nurses of other Brooklyn bargaining units to join them in the event. Accepting the invitation were RNs from Kings County Hospital Center, Interfaith Medical Center, and Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center.

This idea for reaching out to the community was a result of the difficulty LICH RNs are experiencing in their contract negotiations. A main issue of contention is the need to improve the RNs’ staffing ratios.

“It turned out to be a great day in more ways than one,” Semente said. “Not only was the petition drive successful, it also was wonderful to meet so many new nurses and student nurses and make them aware of NYSNA. But the best part of the whole day was meeting so many of our colleagues from other local NYSNA bargaining units, who came out to support us.”