Loved ones of patients at major hospitals across New York City are concerned as nurses continue to strike due to failed contract negotiations on Monday.

Nearly 15,000 nurses walked off their jobs starting at 6 a.m. at five privately run hospitals, including Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Morningside, Mount Sinai West and NewYork-Presbyterian in Manhattan. 

Charlie Bravo's sister is a current patient at Mount Sinai West and said the strike made him anxious about her stay.

"They definitely need the nurses they need to wrap this up quick," he said. "The city can not have the nurses out here any longer than today."

Another former patient wondered who is taking the place of the employees on strike.

Officials from the Greater New York Hospital Association said hospitals "hired contract nurses to replace the strikers, adjusted the schedules of all their workers, accelerated patient discharges and rescheduled some planned procedures."

Gov. Kathy Hochul signed executive orders last week to make sure the state Department of Health had staff at the impacted hospitals. 

"They don't understand the level of care we need" 

The nurses who are filling in are from all over the country. While they are trained and qualified, nurses on strike and patients are pointing out that care goes beyond competence. 

Nurse Lin Geronimo said they don't know the ins and outs of the hospital. Odalis Perez Munoz, whose daughter is at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, said the strike is impacting her child.

"We are in cardiology, and having new/unknown nurses causes chaos because they don't understand the level of care we need and have been getting from our nurses out on strike," she said

Perez Munoz posted a picture of her daughter on Facebook as a show of support for the nurses on strike.

Why are nurses striking? 

Negotiators for the hospitals and the state nurses union failed to agree to a new contract by Monday's deadline.

Both sides bargained throughout the weekend but couldn't make a deal. 

The New York State Nurses Association accused Montefiore, Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian of prioritizing profits rather than safe patient care. Officials said the hospitals are refusing to compromise on issues such as full health care coverage, pay raises, safe staffing levels, pensions and workplace protections. 

Hospital officials called the strike "reckless" in a joint statement. 

Some hospitals, including Northwell Health facilities in Nassau County, were able to reach a deal with the union. Others pulled back their strike notices. 

NewYork-Presbyterian officials said they proposed wage increases, better benefits and more workplace safety measures.

"However, good faith bargaining requires compromise from both sides," a statement read.