Beginning in July, hospitals in Washington state will be required to track compliance with their staffing plans on a monthly basis, under a healthcare staffing law signed by the governor in April 2023.
Three notes:
1. The law expands hospital staffing committees — which recommend staffing standards to leadership — to include staff such as certified nursing assistants and ER technicians. Previously, under a 2008 state law, only nurses and administrators were included.
2. The expanded committees were required to be in place by Jan. 1, 2024. Their first staffing plans were required to be submitted by Jan. 1, 2025, and annually thereafter.
3. The staffing plans outline the minimum number of employees assigned to each unit for every hour of the day, Kitsap Sun reported June 26. Beginning in 2027, hospitals will be required to submit staffing reports twice a year and may face penalties or investigations if they are out of compliance more than 20% of the time, according to the report.
