Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins Rallies With New York State Nurses Association

New York City – Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins joined hundreds of nurses from across the state at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel this afternoon at the New York State Nurses Association’s biennial conference.

Every two years, nurses who belong to the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) come together to push initiatives they feel will enhance the quality of patient care. The conference serves as a demonstration of strength and solidarity among nurses and allows participants and onlookers alike the opportunity to learn more about the policies that affect New York’s healthcare system.

Conference attendees arrived in droves at the Sheraton Hotel to hone their clinical finesse, learn new skills and techniques, and discover new ways to affect policy change. One of NYSNA’s top priorities is to promote legislative initiatives that, if enacted, would eliminate disparities within the healthcare system and prevent private groups and large corporations from infringing upon a patient’s right to treatment.

Senator Stewart-Cousins addressed the assembled crowd of nurses as a longtime supporter of nurses and other healthcare workers, just as she had at numerous NYSNA rallies in the past.

“Nurses work long hours in demanding environments, and patients, in large part, depend on them for both physical and emotional support,” said Senator Stewart-Cousins. “The work they do is important – to doctors, to patients, and to the families of the people they treat. They serve as the faces of the hospitals that employ them, and patients’ feelings about hospitals are colored by the experiences they have with the nurses who treat them. Nurses work in the trenches and on the frontlines of healthcare – and it’s important that we express our gratitude to them for providing us with the best care possible.”  

NYSNA has endorsed Senator Stewart-Cousins for years and in August the group formally re-endorsed her for the upcoming election in November. During her tenure in the State Senate, Senator Stewart-Cousins has fought adamantly for legislation NYSNA supports. She has also fought for a budget that included measures to protect the quality of care for patients and the profession and practice of nursing.

“Nurses are tasked with the enormous responsibility of caring for the sick, and if we want to receive quality care, we must stand with them as they fight for safe working conditions and healthy work environments,” said Senator Stewart-Cousins. “The Senate Democratic Conference will always fight to secure better working conditions for New Yorkers who have embraced this noble profession, and we will continue to fight for them in the next legislative session.”