Nurses at the Gracie Square psychiatric hospital in Manhattan, one of the few dedicated to caring for patients in the Mental Health area, spoke out to demand better working conditions as well as more competitive salaries.
They say they face many difficulties in being able to care for patients.
Diana Moreno, spokesperson for the nurses’ association, said the demand for mental health services is very high.
“Gracie Square Hospital is a psychiatric hospital and the demand for that type of mental health services is very high, so these nurses need more staff,” Moreno said.
And it is that they are already three months of negotiations by the members of the Association of Nurses of the State of New York for a new labor contract just when the city faces a difficult situation regarding mental health problems before a limited number of psychiatric care options in the Big Apple.
Alberto Medina, one of the protesting nurses, said that one of the biggest problems is the overload of work and what they really need is security.
Protest organizers allege that Gracie Square Hospital has refused to hire enough nurses to safely care for patients despite increasing capacity with more beds available.
“The hospital has grown in beds for more patients but it has not grown in the number of nurses it has hired,” added Moreno.
In a statement sent by the hospital, they stated the following:
“We highly value our nurses and respect their right to participate in this activity.”
It is hoped that with this protest the management will finally come to an agreement with the union. The New York State Nurse Practitioners Association represents more than 42,000 members.
And it is that after the coronavirus the difficult situation and need for more mental health care has been even more evident.
2023-07-07 17:48:00
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