November 21, 2023 — When asked, “Who is Vincent Cicatello,” he immediately answered that he is the “PEF Council Leader of Buffalo Psychiatric Center, I serve on the PEF Executive Board in Seat 260, newly appointed as Co-chair of the PEF Statewide Nurses Committee, and was most recently a member of the 2023 PEF Contract Team.”
When asked what title he works in for New York state, he responded that he is an “RN2 Community Mental Health Nurse and a Skilled Nursing Facility Liaison.”
When did he become involved in this career, was my next question. Vincent recalled that there had been a western New York revitalization in 1999, which led him to Buffalo Psych. He began as a CSEA member employed as a therapy aide. He reminisced that he was intrigued by observing how the RNs ran the unit and thought that he could do that job, too.
So off he went at the age of 30 to Erie Community College with financial assistance from CSEA and acquired his associate degree in nursing. Six years later, Vincent applied to the Nursing Development Program (NDP), where he became the program’s first recipient from Buffalo. With the help of PEF and the NDP, Vincent earned his bachelor’s in nursing from Daemen University.
What or who has impacted your career in Nursing?
The pandemic was a very difficult time for healthcare workers. The pandemic magnified the need for nurses, and now we have the opportunity to continue to make improvements. We still have quite a long way to go in creating and maintaining adequate staffing and a workplace free of violence and bullying.
What advice do you have for those considering or just beginning a career in nursing?
I would say that you should make sure your heart is in it. If you want to make a difference, then your heart is in the right place. If you are just going into nursing for what’s in your wallet, that’s not going to work out.
Any final thoughts?
I have to give a shout out to President Spence for all he did through the pandemic in defending members’ rights and access to PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). President Spence helped to demonstrate the value and worth of nurses and Nurse Practitioners with the recent salary grade reallocation, and geographic pay increases to many of the titles.
On a personal note:
Vincent’s son, Vi, just turned 27 on October 2 and was diagnosed at 6 months of age with SCID (Severe combined immunodeficiency). He is currently undergoing treatment at Sloan Kettering in New York City for his fourth bone marrow transplant and will need hospitalization for the next few months. There is a GoFundMe page for those interested in helping the family with their financial burden.