A patients’ rights group has warned a nursing strike in New York City could cause potentially fatal medical errors.
More than 7,000 nurses at two major hospitals in Manhattan and the Bronx went on picket today over wage and staff shortages.
The move forced Mount Sinai and Montefiore hospitals to cancel surgeries and move critically ill people – including 13 weak newborns – to other units.
Caitlin Donovan, a senior director at the National Patient Advocacy Foundation, warned there was likely to be more “medical errors” as a result of the strike. She added that moving critically ill patients is “never ideal” as it puts stress on the body.
A chronically ill woman – Sierra Romero, 25 – had surgery to remove a painful abscess in her abdomen that was canceled just 30 minutes before the procedure at Mount Sinai hospital.
Thousands of nurses have taken part in the picket line to protest wage and staff shortages at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. Pictured: Nurses protest in front of Mount Sinai early this morning
Thousands of nurses went on strike today, joining the picket line in New York City. One was pictured clutching a pizza that read ‘patients over pepperoni’, while another had a picture of Marie Antoinette with the phrase ‘let them eat pizza’. The Pizzas throw down reference parties for nurses when they complain about too much work
Ms Romero told : “I’ve been told to keep preparing, just in case. I got a call from my doctor last night and he said not to eat or drink after midnight just in case we can get the surgery done.
“But he called again at 6.30am and said, ‘Sorry, we can’t do it. We will speak to you as soon as we have nurses and we can reschedule.”
“They can’t even reschedule because they don’t even know what the care is going to be like next week. My surgery was scheduled for 7am today!’
Ms. Romero suffers from Crohn’s disease, a chronic condition that leaves her intestines inflamed and tissues in her digestive tract swollen.
She said the delay in her surgery raised concerns her abscess could become infected, making treatment more complicated.
Pizza-themed protest signs were plentiful at Monday morning’s protests, referencing the pizza parties thrown for nurses when they complain too much at work
An inflatable rat is seen among NYSNA nurses as they strike Monday in protest over pay and staff
Ms Donovan said more patients could suffer an interruption in their care if the strikes were not “resolved as soon as possible”.
“We already know that vulnerable patients, including cancer patients and babies, have had to be moved from one hospital to another and that’s never ideal,” she said.
“If they are moved, they will be exposed to germs that increase the risk of infection. It can also put a strain on the body itself.”
Patient, 25: Surgery canceled half an hour before it was due
A patient from Mount Sinai had her surgery called off just 30 minutes ahead of schedule this morning.
Sierra Romero, 25, was due to have an abscess drained in her colon and polyps removed during an operation at 7am this morning.
But after the strike began, doctors called to cancel the procedure, saying they couldn’t reschedule it because they “don’t even know what nurses they’re going to have next week”.
Sierra Romero, 25, had her colon surgery canceled at Mount Sinai 30 minutes ahead of schedule
Ms. Romero suffers from Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease that causes swelling of the tissues in her digestive tract.
It leaves her with double the pain every day that feels like there’s “broken glass” inside her.
She told : “I was scheduled for the surgery about two months ago, having been diagnosed two years ago.
“I got a call from my doctor last night to say not to eat or drink anything after midnight just in case they can do the surgery.
“He called at 6.30am today to say: ‘We’re sorry, we can’t do it. We will speak to you as soon as we have nurses and we can reschedule.”
“I’m really upset about this because I really need this surgery.
“But I stand by the nurses, I think they’re getting really limited.
“I’ve been to the hospital many times and my nurses don’t have time for me.”
She added, “Mount Sinai has a lot of money, they just don’t want to give it to the nurses.”
She added: “We also have a very high rate of medical error in the US causing about 100,000 deaths annually.
‘[This could rise] since incoming nurses may not be as familiar with the patients themselves and wards may be severely understaffed.
“We are concerned about this for the patients. We just hope that the strike will end as soon as possible.”
A growing number of nurses have gone on strike in the US in recent years as their contracts expire, citing disputes over pay and working conditions.
To stave off the strikes in New York, hospital executives had offered a 19.1 percent pay rise over three years, as well as a $51,000 cash settlement and $19,500 in medical benefits.
Bosses also pledged to hire more nurses, including another 170 in Montefiore alone.
But the nurses rejected the proposals in talks that ended last night and went to the picket line today.
Neither side seems ready to return to the negotiating table at this time.
The New York City Nurses Association released a statement last night accusing hospital leaders of “causing this crisis by failing to hire, train and retrain nurses while simultaneously indulging in extravagant compensation packages.”
On the other hand, Mount Sinai hospitals reportedly this morning distributed leaflets to the picket line accusing nurses of “reckless behavior” and leaving patients at their beds.
In the days leading up to the strike, medics began moving critically ill patients to other units unaffected by the action.
They also discharged all patients for whom it was safe to do so.
As of today, doctors have also started canceling surgeries and telling patients that they will be postponed.
Cancer and heart patients have been affected by the cancellations, with some being sent to other hospitals for treatment.
Nurses who went to the picket line this morning waved signs saying the nurses “care about the community” and “we demand a safe staff-patient relationship”.
Some protesters also carried a sign that read “Patients about pepperoni” and a picture of France’s Queen Marie Antoinette with the phrase “Let them eat pizza,” in a nod to pizza parties thrown for employees when they complained about working conditions. A nurse also disguised as a rat.
Hospitals in New York City were already under pressure because of the “triple disease” of Covid, flu and RSV, which had resulted in increasing numbers of patients in their hospitals.
There are also concerns about Covid’s “Kraken” variant XBB.1.5, with New York City being one of the emerging hotspots.
Another patient affected by the strikes at the Montefiore Hospital also urged officials to return to the negotiating table on Twitter.
She wrote: “I was asked to go to my appointment today which I have been waiting for over four months.
“It was first rescheduled for a phone visit and was simply canceled this morning.
“Hire more nurses! They are overworked and have been working non-stop, especially through Covid and now our ‘triple pandemic’.
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams have called on both sides to end the strike.