Safe Nurse Staffing Saves Lives

On June 18th, the Massachusetts Nurses Association released the results of an in-depth survey of 600 Massachusetts RNs, conducted by Opinion Dynamics Corporation. 68% of nurses surveyed have no connection to MNA, yet the shocking findings correspond to the basic thrust of MNA's statewide campaign for safe care, as well as the Ad Hoc CDHC's own survey of health professionals conducted last year. The executive summary of the report lists these key findings:

• 87% of RNs agree that RNs working in hospital units have to care for too many patients.
  
  
• 50% of RNs think understaffed acute care units are the most serious problem facing the nursing profession, followed by 18% who think fewer young people choosing nursing as a career is the most serious problem.
  
  
• 64% of RNs are aware of incidents in Massachusetts hospitals in which understaffing of RNs led to complications or other problems for a patient.
  
  
• 52% of RNs are aware of incidents in which understaffing led to injury or harm to a patient.
  
  
• 29% are aware of incidents in which understaffing led to mortality for a patient.
  
  
• 93% of RNs agree that burnout from high patient loads causes RNs to leave the hospital setting.
  
  
• 76% of RNs agree that legal liabilities in case of errors are too risky and are causing RNs to leave the hospital setting.
  
  
• 55% of RNs currently providing direct patient care at the bedside have considered leaving the bedside.
  
  
• 86% of RNs favor legislation that would set nurse-to-patient ratios in acute care units.
  
  
• 65% of RNs currently working in non-bedside positions would consider returning to a job providing direct patient care in a hospital if a law were passed regulating RN-to-patient ratios.
  
  
• Only 4% of RNs feel that their hospitals provide excellent patient care.
  
  
• A majority (55%) of RNs think the overall quality of health care in Massachusetts hospitals has gotten worse in the past five years, 15% think it has stayed the same, and 16% think it has improved.
  
  
• 61% of RNs expect the overall quality of health care in Massachusetts to be worse in five years.
  
  
• 71% of RNs think the health care system in Massachusetts has real problems and is in need of a major overhaul; 23% think the health care system could use some minor changes, but overall it is in pretty good shape.

As this survey's results were being announced, over 500 nurses and their allies packed the hearing room and spread throughout the State House lobbying for support of House bill 1282, An Act Ensuring Quality Patient Care and Safe RN Staffing, which would establish minimum RN-to-patient ratios in Massachusetts hospitals as a condition of Department of Public Health licensure.

The bill was filed by Rep. Christine Canavan, RN, and the MNA, and is co-sponsored by 101 out of 200 members of the Legislature, including 13 of the 17 members of the Joint Committee on Health Care. Dr. Leo Stolbach of the Ad Hoc board offered stirring testimony, as did Marcia Hamms of Health Care for All, and RNs from every corner of the state. For details of H1282 and the campaign, go to www.massnurses.org. For background on the deformation of health care and nurses fighting back, go to www.seachangebulletin.org.