The California Department of Public Health has approved temporary rule waivers for 23 hospitals after a nurse-patient ratio rule went into effect June 1, Mercury News reported June 29.
The new regulations require 35 psychiatric hospitals to assign one nurse for every six adult patients and one for every five youth patients. Hospitals that do not comply face daily fines of $15,000 to $30,000. There had previously been no staffing ratio for nurses.
Hospitals hired 1,000 new nurses statewide to meet the new regulation, but cut hours or terminated unlicensed mental health staffers, the California Hospital Association said. The association estimates that 760 unlicensed staffers would lose their jobs as nurses take on their responsibilities. Nurses associations told the news outlet that those decisions bucked the intent of the higher staffing standards.
Hospital operators said they cannot hire enough nurses to comply with the ratios, forcing many to close beds. Walnut Creek, Calif.-based John Muir Health was forced to temporarily close 21 psychiatric beds, effective June 1, including a 10-bed child psychiatric unit serving patients under 12 and an 11-bed adult psychiatric unit.
John Muir Health is one of the 23 hospitals that received a temporary rule waiver.
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