The legislation, House Bill 1868, passed the Washington State House on Feb. 13 and died in the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. It would have limited the number of patients direct care registered nurses could be assigned for any shift. Minimum staffing standards would have varied by unit, and hospitals would have faced fines for noncompliance with staffing plans.
The Washington State Nurses Association, UFCW 21 and SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, which represent more than 71,000 healthcare workers in the state, supported the legislation, arguing it would “protect healthcare workers from dangerously high patient loads.”
However, hospitals warned that they anticipated permanent care delays and cuts to services if the legislation were to be enacted.
The debate over minimum hospital staffing could be renewed in 2023, according to The Everett Herald.
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