Bayside Nursing Home Staff Picket Amid Unsafe Staffing Conditions

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — Staff from a Bayside nursing home picketed outside their workplace on Tuesday, demanding a fair contract that includes safe staffing ratios amid the lack of workers.

Nurses protested outside of Ozanam Hall of Queens Nursing Home and demanded a contract that included strong retention policies and good healthcare benefits amid unsafe staffing conditions prompted by the pandemic.

“I work at night, and we used to have three nurses to care for 50 residents. Now we are lucky to have two nurses working,” said Sabrina Adonus, a nurse who has worked for the facility since 2006. “Some nights I’m by myself trying to give total care for 50 patients.”

Nurses at the facility said that after many Ozanam nurses fell ill during the COVID-19 pandemic, management proposed to reduce and restrict nurses’ sick leave, as well as their health benefits, and increase the cost to nurses.

Ozanam Hall of Queens Nursing Home did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Patch.

“We need Ozanam Health to negotiate a fair contract that includes the safe staffing and healthcare benefits we need to provide quality care,” said Adonus.