May 7 , 2024 — In honor of National Nurse’s Month, let me introduce you to Cynthia Walker, a registered nurse who currently works at SUNY Downstate and serves as a Steward, Secretary, and a member of the PEF Statewide Nurses Committee. Most recently, Cynthia was a member of the 2023-2026 contract team and is the Region 11 Statewide Nurses Committee representative, covering Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island.
Cynthia views herself as a healthcare professional, who initially came into nursing after seeing how nurses cared for her mother at Buffalo General Medical Center. The care her mother received as a cancer survivor was phenomenal and inspired Cynthia to become a registered nurse.
The first five years of her career began at Long Island Jewish in the medical-surgical unit. Not long after, she felt the need to work at SUNY Downstate to serve her community. There, she was hired as a nurse in the cardiac telemetry unit.
“I like the fast-paced and high acuity work atmosphere and that’s exactly what I found on that unit,” Cynthia told me. “I was impressed by the dedication and determination of my co-workers in the way they cared for their patients. Many of them had families and were continuing their education, which inspired me to go back to school to get my bachelor’s degree.
“I have to recognize my council leader, Joan Rosegreen, for encouraging me to go back to school and to become a steward,” she said.
After accomplishing all that, Cynthia also saw the need to advocate for improvements in health care with policy and legislative initiatives.
Cynthia is the chair of the clinical staffing committee at SUNY Downstate, representing her fellow PEF members.
“I want to continue to advocate for better working conditions, staffing ratios and health care overall,” she said to me. “I want to do this on behalf of the patients, my community, all PEF members, and for all nurses. I see a great opportunity to enhance the health care setting with recruitment and retention efforts that will attract newly graduated RNs.”
She was also very active in the recent successful campaign to keep SUNY Downstate open.
How has she done so much?
“By being active in the union,” she said. “It gives me a voice.”
Cynthia keeps on top of union activity by checking the www.pef.org website often, attending Town Halls, reading The Communicator, attending committee meetings, lobbying, rallying, and meeting members one-on-one.
“When engaging with members, I usually ask, ‘What’s happening? What needs to be done? And, how can I help?’”
For those of you who have not yet met Cynthia in person, she is a delightful, energetic, and upbeat person. Cynthia is truly an asset as a nurse and union leader, as well as a wife, mother, and grandmother. Hope you get to meet her soon!