NY nurses rally for 'safe staffing' at hospitals

Hospitals are putting patients at risk by forcing nurses to care for too many people at once, the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) said Saturday. More than 100 NYSNA members marched on the concourse level of Empire State Plaza before rallying at the underground entrance to the state Department of Health (DOH). "We don't have enough nurses to be on each shift, and that causes problems with our patients," said Lisa Blodgett, an emergency department nurse at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady. "How can you give great health care?" Blodgett asked. "How can you take care of your patients when you don't have enough nurses?"