New York State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar has expressed solidarity with nurses represented by the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) as they prepare to take what could be a “historic stand across New York City.”

“As the daughter of health care professionals, I stand in unwavering solidarity with NYSNA nurses who are preparing to take this historic stand across New York City,” Rajkumar said in a statement on January 3. “These nurses are the frontline of our healthcare system. They are the ones who stay at the bedside, catch emergencies before they escalate, and advocate for patients when no one else will.”

Rajkumar noted that the nurses’ demands focus on core issues that directly affect patient care, including safe staffing levels, protections from workplace violence, and guaranteed healthcare benefits for caregivers. “Their demands are simple and just,” she said, adding that nurses give everything to care for others and deserve meaningful support in return.

Highlighting the local impact, Rajkumar pointed out that several of the hospitals involved, including Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, provide essential care to residents in her district and to communities across Queens and Brooklyn. She stressed that when nurses raise concerns about staffing and safety, it is done with patients and neighborhoods in mind.

“When nurses speak up about staffing and safety, they are doing so to strengthen patient care and ensure our neighborhoods receive the quality healthcare they deserve,” she said.

Rajkumar also criticized hospital systems that cite financial constraints while maintaining significant reserves and spending heavily on temporary staffing. “It is especially troubling that some of the wealthiest hospital systems in New York City claim they cannot afford fair contracts, while holding billions in cash reserves and preparing to spend enormous sums on temporary traveler nurses,” she said.

According to the Assemblywoman, such decisions risk destabilizing the healthcare system by prioritizing short-term measures over long-term investment in experienced staff. “Instead of investing those resources into the experienced nurses who know their patients, neighborhoods, and hospitals, executives are choosing confrontation over collaboration,” she said.

Calling nurses the backbone of the city’s healthcare system, Rajkumar urged hospital leadership to move swiftly toward fair agreements. “Supporting them means supporting safer hospitals, stronger communities, and better outcomes for patients,” she said. “The best way to protect patients is not through strikebreaking tactics, but by respecting nurses, valuing their expertise, and ensuring that there are always enough trained professionals at the bedside.”

“Our city’s health depends on it,” she added.

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