Story and photos by DEBORAH A. MILES More than 300 nurses and health care


workers visited state lawmakers May 24 in Albany to push for legislation to improve patient care in New York. PEF nurses, who participated in the


day with other union nurses and professionals, told legislators their personal stories about why the Safe Patient Handling bill (A1370-A/S2470-A) and the Safe Staffing For Quality Care Act (A921/S4553) would make a difference for patients and nurses. (See page 7 for more information.) PEF President Ken Brynien addressed


the nurses before the scheduled appointments.


PEF nurses speak to legislators about needed laws “Nurses lift an average of 1.8 tons


“It doesn’t matter if you work in a


hospital, nursing home, veterans home or a community residence, there are challenges,” Brynien said. “As nurses, you have people who are putting their lives in your hands. You need to do the right thing and your employers need to do the right thing. “The people who can make things


better are the state legislators. Your task today is not only to tell them your personal stories, but to demand they act. Send the message: ‘Nurses need to be safe, so they can care for the community.’” Jemma Marie-Hanson, chair of the


Nurses Committee and PEF Region 11 coordinator, also addressed the crowd.


during an eight-hour shift, according to the Zero Lift Task Force,” Marie-Hanson said. “The accumulative effect of this trauma of manual lifting and transferring patients has led to career-ending injuries. Injuries affect nearly 40 percent of our nurses. Our patients also have sustained fractures, bruising and skin tears from unsafe manual lifting. “Tell our legislators the programs that


promote safe patient handling actually decrease costs in the long run. Facilities with safe-patient–handling programs, such as the state Veterans Home in Batavia, have shown up to a 93 percent reduction in workers’ compensation claims, lost workdays, overtime and staff shortages. That is why this legislation is crucial,” Marie-Hanson said. The nurses took her advice when they


met with lawmakers or their assistants. Fred Bulmer and Kolbe O’Neill told


state Sen. Hugh Farley’s assistant about the dangers of short staffing at the Capital District Psychiatric Center (CDPC). “We delivered our message with


examples, such as how nurses working at CDPC must wait five to six hours to use a washroom because of short staffing,” Bulmer said. “And sometimes one nurse is left to oversee up to 20 patients.” Dan Leffingwell,


STRENGTH IN NUMBERS—PEF nurses speak to stateAssembly Member Earlene Hooper about laws to advance quality patient care.They are Mona Charles,Elizabeth Jose,Mary Phillips,Deborah Coleman,Carrie Saunders, Icilda Innocent,Surinder Raryila,Usha George,Gracey James and (seated) Hooper with PEF Region 11 Coordinator Jemma Marie-Hanson.


assistant director of youth nursing services at the state Office of Children and Family Services, said those same problems and concerns affect nurses in hospital settings. “These are statewide


LEFFINGWELL Saunders,


issues, across-the-board,” Leffingwell said. Carrie


an occupational therapist from the Brooklyn Developmental Disabilities Services Office, joined a number of SUNY Downstate Medical Center nurses on Nurses Lobby Day. “Nurses play a vital role


ONTHEIRWAY—A group fromSUNY Downstate Medical Center pauses before meeting with state Sen.Michael Gianaris.Shown are Gale Baptiste, Josephine Headley, Imabel Saniel, Joan Rosegreen,Darryl Stevenson (Parole), Andrea Harry, Denise Dyer and SharmineAlleyne.


Page 10—The Communicator July/August 2011


when it comes to treating individuals. I’m here to support them,” Saunders said. “Our concerns focus on quality patient care. These issues can be a matter of life and death for otherwise healthy patients.”


SAUNDERS


PEF Information Line: 1-800-553-2445


NURSES STATION


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