Nurses at eight of the city's biggest private hospitals delivered a 10-day notice to strike, the New York State Nurses Association announced Friday.

The 10-day advance notice gives hospitals time to plan for the care of patients during the possible strike, however “the best way for management to protect patients is to listen to nurses and settle fair contracts that protect patient care in the next 10 days,” NYSNA said in a statement.

“NYSNA will continue to bargain non-stop between now and January 9th in the hopes of reaching agreements,” NYSNA said.

If nurses do strike, at least 16,000 could be hitting the picket line on Jan. 9.

The private hospitals that could be impacted include New York-Presbyterian, Montefiore, Mount Sinai, Maimonides, BronxCare, Richmond University Medical Center and Flushing Hospital.