IN THEIR OWN WORDS
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“When my 75 year old husband was seriously ill with COVID, I observed two nurses at my local hospital being overwhelmed with about 35 ER patients. He left without treatment after we waited 5 hours. During that time, he was accidentally injured by one of the two nurses, so he left with a large bandage the entire length of his right arm.
It became clear to me that an understaffed ER was more dangerous than taking him home.”
— Anna Palmisano
Marylanders For Patient Rights -
https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68346df4c98e1f281461331a/1753808130542-Z9W9T6C4FSA6PWZNS398/eric%27ka.jpg?format=300w “Nurses are burning out because of the mental and physical stress we are faced with. I’m 24 years old and am already experiencing burnout. …nurses in my generation are overwhelmed at the prospect of facing this short staffing crisis. Having a seat at the table to give our perspective will help more nurses in my generation stay in healthcare long term. That is why the Safe Staffing Act is so vital.”
— Eric'ka Dunkins
Registered Nurse
Prince George's County -
“Poor staffing conditions are associated with higher mortality rates and longer lengths of stay for patients.
Staffing conditions and staff burnout must be addressed – if they are not, we know it will be increasingly difficult for patients to get care when they need it, health costs will rise, and health disparities will increase.”
— Megan Peters
Alzheimer's Association -
“If one department is short, it creates a domino effect that impacts everyone else. …Workers are asked to take on the work of other titles in addition to our own work to cover the gaps.
The workforce at my hospital is like a revolving door. …Young workers see how burned and overburdened the current staff is and get frustrated… To fill the gaps in the healthcare workforce, workers’ voices need to be heard!”
— Lucy Caulker-Nelson
Wound Care Technician -
“In 2021, New York passed the Safe Staffing Committees legislation and since then, healthcare workers have been key voices in tangible and effective solutions to staffing issues in the hospital.
Before this legislation, I was … working understaffed, burnt out, disappointed by the inadequate care patients were receiving … and left out of the discussions to address the healthcare workforce crisis.
The Safe Staffing Act gives workers a transparent process to come up with strategies and solutions named by workers who know the issue personally.”
— Johnine Gunsalus
Nurse in New York State
