Newsday: Syosset Hospital nurses protest, saying patient care compromised by staffing shortages
Tuesday, August 30, 2022
More than two years after being hailed as heroes for their work during the COVID-19 crisis, nurses at Syosset Hospital are decrying staffing conditions, arguing that patient care is being sacrificed for profit.
On Monday, about 50 Syosset nurses who have been operating without a contract for nearly a year protested in front of the Jericho Turnpike hospital, calling for wage increases, improved working conditions, affordable retiree health care and increased staffing levels.
Carol Gravely, a registered nurse for 42 years, including the past 24 at Syosset, said the good will built up during the pandemic seems to have faded. "It feels like we went from heroes to zeros," said Gravely who works in the recovery room and is the local bargaining unit secretary for the New York State Nurses Association, which represents 42,000 nurses.