Two Democratic senators and a representative reintroduced a bill May 12 that would create minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios at hospitals across the country.
Sens. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Rep. Jan Shakowsky, D-Ill., reintroduced the Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act on International Nurses Day.
The bill would require hospitals to develop annual staffing plans that meet the minimum staffing ratios set forth in the legislation. Hospitals would also be required to maintain records of RN staffing and post notices of minimum ratios. Additionally, the legislation would provide whistleblower protections for nurses who speak out against unsafe staffing practices. HHS would be tasked with enforcing minimum ratios through civil penalties and administrative complaints.
“For years, I’ve talked to exhausted nurses who have said they go home at night, wondering if they forgot to turn a patient because they were stretched far too thin,” Ms. Schakowsky said in a news release. “Study after study shows that safe nurse-to-patient staffing ratios result in higher-quality care for patients, lower healthcare costs, and a better workplace for nurses. It is past time that we act on the evidence, give nurses the support they deserve, and put patients over profits.”
The bill is endorsed by National Nurses United, the Alliance for Retired Americans, the American Federation of Teachers, SEIU Healthcare, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
The proposed legislation mirrors Califorina’s landmark staffing law enacted in 1999. California remains the only state with mandated nurse-to-patient ratios for acute care hospitals.
Nurse staffing ratios have been a flashpoint in healthcare for decades. Nurses and labor groups largely support mandated ratios, citing studies linking them to improved care quality, patient outcomes and retention. Hospital leaders, meanwhile, argue that rigid minimums don’t account for evolving care models or staffing shortages, and may precipitate service cuts.
