New York nurses strike highlights patient safety and staffing shortages

Nurses at several major New York hospitals have gone on strike citing chronic understaffing and patient safety concerns; university research and surveys report widespread inadequate staffing and rising turnover.

Nurses at several major hospitals in New York City walked off the job this week, saying chronic understaffing has made safe patient care difficult. University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing research and surveys of New York City nurses report persistent understaffing that predated the pandemic and remains widespread. The researchers report that in a 2024 survey about 66% of nurses said their units were not adequately staffed and that many nurses plan to leave their employers. Legislation to set minimum safe nurse staffing in New York was introduced beginning in 2019 but did not pass. Key facts: - Nurses at some major New York City hospitals went on strike and described the walkouts as a last resort over patient safety concerns. - A 2024 survey cited by the researchers found about 66% of New York City hospital nurses reported inadequate staffing on their units. - Nearly one in four nurses said they plan to leave their employer within a year, and about 70% reported low confidence that top management would respond effectively to unsafe care concerns. - University of Pennsylvania research finds longstanding understaffing in many New York hospitals, with worse staffing on average in New York City than elsewhere in the state. - Legislation introduced beginning in 2019 to establish minimum safe nurse staffing standards in New York did not pass. Summary: The strike reflects persistent understaffing that researchers link to delayed care, higher readmissions, and accelerated nurse turnover, which together affect hospital operations and patient outcomes. Undetermined at this time.