SAFE STAFFING ACT: negative impact on nursing practice
On April 30, 2013 Registered Nurse Safe Staffing Act was introduced which has given individual states the authority to appropriately staff units based on patients’ needs.
According to American Nurses Association (2014), staffing laws should fall under one out of three general guideline. The first guideline is to require hospitals to have a nurse driven staffing committee which create staffing plans that reflect the needs of the patient population. The second approach is for legislators to mandate specific nurse to patient ratios in legislation or regulation. A third approach is that of requiring facilities to disclose staffing levels to the public and /or a regulatory body.
By introducing general guidelines the congress has left the final decision upon to the states. Legislators’ decision to mandate fixed nurse to patient ratio can negatively impact nursing practice and patient care and hence should be eliminated from the general guidelines to choose from.
American Nurses Association (2014). Nurse Staffing Plans & Ratios. Retrieved from: http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/Policy-Advocacy/State/Legislative-Agenda-Reports/State-StaffingPlansRatios
According to American Nurses Association (2014), staffing laws should fall under one out of three general guideline. The first guideline is to require hospitals to have a nurse driven staffing committee which create staffing plans that reflect the needs of the patient population. The second approach is for legislators to mandate specific nurse to patient ratios in legislation or regulation. A third approach is that of requiring facilities to disclose staffing levels to the public and /or a regulatory body.
By introducing general guidelines the congress has left the final decision upon to the states. Legislators’ decision to mandate fixed nurse to patient ratio can negatively impact nursing practice and patient care and hence should be eliminated from the general guidelines to choose from.
American Nurses Association (2014). Nurse Staffing Plans & Ratios. Retrieved from: http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/Policy-Advocacy/State/Legislative-Agenda-Reports/State-StaffingPlansRatios