But the NYSNA wants this to be regulated on a state level. “We’re having conversations during contract negotiations from hospital to hospital but there is no standard practice of law or state regulation that requires safe staffing levels in all of our hospitals," said Martin.

Efforts to regulate nurse staff levels have struggled in Albany. The Safe Staffing for Quality Care Act has been in the New York Senate and the New York State Assembly for over 10 years now but there has yet to be an official vote on where they stand with this legislation, said Martin.

In California, on the other hand, progress was made on the issue long ago. That state passed its RN Staffing Ratio Law in 1999, establishing minimum RN-to-patient ratios for hospitals, and the nurses in New York are working tirelessly to bring that law to their state.

Next Tuesday, nurses from all over the state will converge in Albany to lobby in favor of finally moving safe staffing legislation forward. “We’re going to get thousands of nurses into Albany, knocking on legislators’ doors, asking where they stand on safe staffing and calling for votes in the Senate and the Assembly to move this bill,” said Martin.

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