POA

***Take a picture and email POA to covidpoa@nysna.org***

You have a right to file a Protest of Assignment (POA). The POA documents any patient assignment that puts you or your patients at serious risk for harm and conflicts with your professional judgment and experience. 

**Download and print the POA form below**

When to file a POA: 

The appropriate time to file a POA is when you deem in your professional judgement that an unsafe situation exists. Once you decide to file a POA, notify a supervisor, which gives management the opportunity to address your concerns in real time. However, you do not need approval from the supervisor to file a POA. Once you have notified management, your POA is filed - the paperwork can follow later though it should be filled out before the end of shift.

When you fill‐out a POA form, be thorough and accurate. Also, document the following information in the “Additional Comments” section:

• Individual ratios per RN (e.g., “Nurse Smith had 5 patients”)

• Overall acuity per patient assignment

• How conditions jeopardize patient safety or ability to take a contractual break

Be sure to refrain from using specific identifiers, especially patient names and MR numbers, in order to maintain compliance with HIPAA guidelines and NYP privacy policies.

All staff on duty may sign one POA form and fill in the number of RNs protesting or an individual can complete one on their own. Above all, ADVOCATE FOR SAFE PRACTICE AND DOCUMENT.

When your POA form is complete, please follow these steps:

• Give a copy to the supervisor (some managers refuse to sign, but you still need to give them a copy)

• Send your NYSNA Rep a copy. Please take a picture and email it to covidpoa@nysna.org. We no longer have regular access to faxes. 

• All RNs who have signed the POA form should keep a copy for their own records. Please keep a copy of all POAs in a binder on the unit. If your unit doesn't have one yet, please reach out to your rep.

What happens to my POA?

Your POA is used in Professional Practice Committee meetings to discuss staffing concerns, look at patterns of units with a high number of POAs, and identify units with a recent increase in POAs. 

POAs are also legal documents. If there is an adverse event on the shift, the POA is documentation that you raised safety concerns through the proper channels and the assignment was carried out under protest. This protects your nursing license!