RN-to-Patient Staffing Bill Reintroduced:
Medical Community Strongly Supports Regulated RN Staffing Ratio Levels

By Sandy Eaton, RN

The Coalition to Protect Massachusetts Patients has re-filed legislation to establish minimum, flexible staffing standards for all acute-care hospital settings in the Commonwealth. This bill has been assigned to the newly created Joint Committee on Public Health. The Coalition now unites the Massachusetts Nurses Association with over 90 other advocacy organizations. With 106 (out of 200) state legislators on board, House Bill No. 2663 stands an excellent chance of passing this session if sufficient grassroots pressure is continuously applied to move it through the system.

A series of surveys by the prestigious Opinion Dynamics Corporation indicates wide recognition of the current impediments to quality care and patient safety, and a growing demand for a legislated, enforceable solution, especially among those hospitalized in the past two years or those who have had loved ones hospitalized. 76% of Massachusetts residents polled favor legislation regulating minimum staffing levels. 74% of physicians surveyed support legislation to set minimum RN-to-patient ratios. Further, 78% of MDs believe RN staffing levels are too low, 82% believe quality is suffering, an alarming 1-in-5 doctors report patient deaths due to nurses caring for too many patients.

"I don't know how many times we need to share information like
this before the message sinks in with the Legislature: patients are
suffering because of RN understaffing, and the solution agreed upon by
all those who know this issue best-nurses, physicians and the patients
themselves-is to pass a law to establish a safe, minimum standard of
nursing care. The time for debate is over, the time for action has
arrived," said Julie Pinkham, RN, MNA executive director, who was
among the advocates on hand at the State House in May to announce the
survey results, along with physicians and legislators who are taking immediate
action on the issue.

SAVE THE DATE and tell others: The Safe RN Staffing Bill, H. 2663 is scheduled for a public hearing on Wed. July 13th! For details on this Bill and the hearing visit http://www.massnurses.org/safe_care/WhatBillDoes.htm