Nurses who helped launch a push for paid parental leave in Allegheny County are celebrating after County Council approved a plan providing 12 weeks of leave for qualifying new parents.
The measure passed County Council 11-4, according to a community announcement, and applies to qualifying new parents working for employers with 15 or more employees.
Nurses at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital helped launch the campaign on Mother’s Day, arguing that their experiences inside the hospital showed how important that time can be for new parents and babies.
Over the next several months, nurses and other health care workers from Magee and Allegheny General joined community groups and families to rally, knock on doors, make hundreds of calls and take their case
directly to County Council.
UPMC Magee nurse Jean Stone was amazed by how far the campaigns had gone.
“By making sure every family has access to at least twelve weeks of leave, County Council has helped save lives. When Magee nurses launched this campaign on Mother’s Day, we had no idea how far we’d get," she said. "What we did know was how badly families needed more paid parental leave, and how such a policy could help address the nursing shortage by attracting and retaining more healthcare workers to Allegheny County. Our County will be a better place to live, work, and receive healthcare as a result."
Stone said the effort that started with Pittsburgh nurses is now becoming a first-of-its-kind law in the country.
Supporters say Allegheny County is the first county in the country to guarantee paid parental leave through a law like this, potentially providing a model for other communities.
Nurses have also framed paid parental leave as a public health issue, pointing to maternal and infant health outcomes in Allegheny County and arguing that parents need time to physically recover, bond with their babies and care for their families.
The campaign is also an example of nurses taking what they see at the bedside and using their voices to advocate for changes outside the hospital.
That work has resonated with Katherine LaNasa, who plays charge nurse Dana Evans on “The Pitt” and told us that learning about real nurses has given her an even deeper appreciation for the people behind the role.
"I would say that I get really informed doing the role about how much pressure is on nurses and so much about nursing and the lack of limits on patients nurses can take care of at a time," she said. "The legal pressure on them, the time pressure on them, and the emotional pressure, I really have come to appreciate that and just try to shine a light on that."
The County Council vote gives the nurses’ campaign a new outcome to point to as advocates consider whether similar paid-leave efforts could spread elsewhere in Pennsylvania and beyond.
This story was produced by reporter Gabby Sartori, [gsartori@usatodayco.com], with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nurses’ push leads to paid parental leave in Allegheny County
