2007 House Bill 4339 (Mandate specified nurse-patient ratios )

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Introduced by Rep. Lisa Wojno on February 28, 2007, to require hospitals to maintain staff-to-patient ratios, including, at a minimum: one nurse for each patient in an operating room or trauma emergency unit; one nurse for every two patients in critical care units, including labor and delivery or postanesthesia units; one nurse for every three patients in antepartum, emergency room, pediatrics, step-down, or telemetry units; one nurse for every four patients in intermediate care nursery, medical, surgical, or acute care psychiatric units; one nurse for every five patients in rehabilitation units; and one nurse for every six patients in postpartum or well-baby nursery units. The Department of Community Health would be required to enforce these ratios, and to impose more stringent ones depending on the level of acute care generally required in a particular hospital or unit.
- Referred to the House Labor Committee on February 28, 2007.

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Comments

Introduced by Rep. Lisa Wojno on February 28, 2007. New Comment

1) RN to PT ratio [by Anonymous Citizen on December 10, 2007]
Hospitals are for profit in this country. There will never again be 1:1 care. Hospitals have the profits down to a science. They know exactly how many nurses they need to care for patients. They know exactly how many case workers they need for billing. Guess which department has more staff.
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2) Leslie2177 [by Anonymous Citizen on January 24, 2008]
Nurse to patient ratio? Please! Yesterday I was in charge of a Rehab unit, they were already short staffed on 7p-7a, and at 1800 the hospital wanted to admit/transfer a patient to our unit (the transfer was already approved), and I thought it's late and our kitchen closes at 1930 and by the time the transfer arrived the patient would need supper)so, I refused the transfer and they agreeed to send them in the morning at 0900.
My day off was today, and by 1430 somting my boss called and was upset about my reasoning and she stated It doesn't matter how many nurses we are short you have to accept them anyway. Yesterday was bad we took a guy off the vent and waiting for him to die with the family present, AND MANY MORE OCCURENCES
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3) RN wants to know [by Anonymous Citizen on November 13, 2007]
I'd like to know what world this person lives in. Wishful think about that when it's your love one we can't mindfully get to because we have too many people to take care of.
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4) We must do better. [by Anonymous Citizen on May 23, 2007]
Who would have thought that the norm in health care in the United States would be nursing ratios of 1:7 or more. Like third world countries, we are getting to the point that a patient who does not have a family member or other advocate constantly at their bedside is at risk of errors or injury by overworked nurses or unlicensed alternatives to registered nurses who simply cannot summon super powers to make up for being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of what is expected from them. There must be other ways to save money in our hospitals (maybe spend less on expensive marketing and other "fluff" rather and more on providing quality care by skilled nurses).
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5) RECALL [by Anonymous Citizen on May 23, 2007]
Recall Jenny!!!!!!!!!!!
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6) RN [by Anonymous Citizen on May 17, 2007]
Please help us pass this bill! I currently work 12 hour shifts and some days within that 12 hours I only see some of my patients 2 or 3 times! It is so unsafe and wouldn't leave any of my family alone ever if they were in the hospital. I hate not being able to care for my patients they way they deserve and need to be cared for.
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7) Nurse/Patient Ratios [by Anonymous Citizen on March 25, 2007]
It is important that people are aware of how many patients their nurse is caring for. Hospitals are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to trick people by advertising "High quality, Safe, Top Notch Care...." however, when in reality hospital administrative executives want to increase in the amount of patients assigned per nurse. This will no doubt reduce patient quality care. While hospital executives are raking in million dollar paychecks, hefty pensions, and wasting healthcare dollars by using anti-union outsource companies to try and divide hospital unions. The nursing staff is the backbone of ANY hospital. Having dedicated, well-trained licensed staff at the bedside to provide safe and effective care to ALL patients should be top priority. However, by continuing to spend money trying to break hospital unions, hospital executives are wasting valuable dollars that could be better spent through equiptment moderization, or continued training for current staff members.

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8) nurse to patient ratio [by Anonymous Citizen on March 15, 2007]
www.betternursingcare.com
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9) nurse :patient ratio's [by Anonymous Citizen on March 23, 2007]
As a RN trust me when I say you want a nurse pt ratio that is mandated by the state. As your local hospital is advertising they provide safe healthcare their really forcing nursing staffs to run under unsafe conditions. So while your grandparent is lying in his or her own waste because the nurse taking care of your loved one has a 1:8-10 patient ratio.... Think about that patient ratio. Or how about when your Mom who is fresh from surgery needs something and that nurse isn't avaiable because their are 6 other fresh surgical's that have hire priority then your mom... think nurse patient ratio. Another example is your wife is just admitted to ICU after a car accident but that nurse who really should be watching your wife is now having to care for another critical care patient as well so now this nurse has divide her time between two critically ill patient who really need just one one care. So, digest this what hospital administration's don't want you to know is while they say their losing money their really saying their losing their bonus and huge salary's. I'll put this chanllege to you find out what your area hospitals nurse patient ratio is and, then find out what the upper managment is bring home for their paycheck. Then let's talk about patient care, healthcare cost and loss and the care that I'am able to safely deliver to your loved one. I hope the state does step in and do the right thing. If healthcare special interest doesn't threaten your legislator with loss of funds and support when their term is up in office. So when it boils down to it at the end of the day it's all about the bottom line not your loved one.
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10) Moral responsibilty [by Anonymous Citizen on March 6, 2007]
As you look around our state & see the only buildings or additions going up are at hospitals, it would seem obvious they are making money hand over fist. Lets require them to at least give proper care to those paying for it all. Reduction of staff as costs increase is a disgrace to all that's right.
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11) No! [by Anonymous Citizen on March 4, 2007]
While it is admirable to suggest that minimum staff to patient ratios should be maintained by medical providers, this should only be done for state-funded establishments. Keep the state out of private enterprise, since the current regime has little understanding of how it operates.

Let the laws of supply and demand dictate what is best for patients. Many hospitals are already increasing staff based on their patients' feedback.
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12) WHAT? [by Anonymous Citizen on March 16, 2008]
What world exactly do you live in? There is no way to keep government out of private institutions when those institutions are dealing with the welfare, safety, and overall health of men, women, and children. I have been an ICU nurse for over 6 years and worked at several different institutions during this time - my overall experience is that "safety" and "demand" are not regulated by patient satisfaction - they are regulated by a hospitals bottom line (profit). I work for a privately owned Catholic based NON PROFIT institution who currently would like to "bust" our union and increase their profits for our upcoming contract years. Our institution is the only hospital in Michigan to have nurse to patient ratio's at this time and our patient satisfaction scores have substantially INCREASED every year during our last 5 contract years. Despite this fact our new administration seeks to "bust" our union and end this practice to increase their profits. Do not believe for one moment that someone who is hired to run a hospital puts much thought at all into how good the care provided is - unless it COSTS them money, only then does "safety" and "care" become a consideration. Unless the state mandates that all hospitals provide safe staffing levels - such as those proposed, every person requiring hospitalization should have a knowledgeable and alert person at thier bedside AT ALL TIMES. Don't trust someone just because they are YOUR nurse - because they could be the nurse of 4-10 other people with a similar diagnosis. Trust the institutions that put "safety" above "profits" and allow their nurses the LUXURY of knowing their patients and providing the safest and most accomodating care possible. Unfortunately I believed I worked at such an institution but only our ongoing contract negotiations and our current administrations actions will reveal whether this is true.
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13) so, what does the [by Anonymous Citizen on March 16, 2008]
union do to increase the profits?

what do they do to increase your productivity?

what do they do to increase your patient safety?

not a thing.

all they do is charge you union dues.
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14) so, what does the Union do... [by ConcernedRN on May 14, 2008]
I too work at the only hospital in Michigan that has a Union Contract that spells out Nurse to Patient ratios, which are essentially equivalent to the ratios in this bill, and now administration is trying to break the union, cut nurses and get rid of our Nurse to Patient ratios. Our union WAS allowed to sit on committees that addressed issues such as Cost Savings, Patient Care Safety and Nurse to Patient Ratios and other Nursing / Management issues UNTIL the new management disbanded those committees in January. We had a very good collaborative relationship with our old management that benefited the bottom dollar and many issues all Hospitals face today. We had decent staffing and little difficulty retaining Nurses, in an environment that has a severe Nursing shortage, because of this Joint Labor Management team. Now our Top Executive spends a lot of his time in Lansing trying to fight the passage of this Proposed Bill. Why would Hospitals fight a Bill that is aimed at providing good Patient Care & Safety - Only because it compromises the Hospital's ability to make massive profits by cutting the very people that provide care to the patients - the NURSE or the technical support people required to assist the Nurse in caring for the patient. I guess if this Bill passes the Hospital Executives will have to take a pay &/or benefit cut or quit "rearranging" administrators under the guise of cutting upper management when in actuality they have moved or let go upper management with a separation pay equivalent to their original pay and then rehired them as consultants or in another capacity and paid them again, and then filled or have advertised to fill the originally vacated position. They say they have cut management but, we aren't blind, they have actually increased upper management numbers and costs. Nursing has a Standard of Care, the minimum required, for every diagnosis or surgical procedure there is. This Bill is nothing more than of Minimum Standard of Care requirement for Hospitals to follow. This Bill is needed to benefit both Patient Care & Safety and to protect the license of the bedside Nurse, by addressing acuity as well as basic Nurse to Patient ratios. Nurses can only be stretched so far and practicing outside of these Nurse to Patient Ratios can not possibly provide the patient care necessary for the very ill patients we see in this day and age of technology.
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15) jajskiRN [by Anonymous Citizen on March 3, 2008]
You are obviously NOT a nurse who works in a hospital. *L
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16) needed [by Anonymous Citizen on March 4, 2007]
This legislation is needed to protect patients in the very competitive business our medical care has become.
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17) A Must [by Anonymous Citizen on May 18, 2007]
Mandated Nurse to Patient Ratios as outlined in Senate Bill .063 would be a good thing. It also addresses acuity and would not harm those who have staffing ratios better then proposed. Some Hospitals would prefer to adjust "Staffing Levels" with ancillary help and not Nurses. Remember this: You are sent to a Hositpal for NURSING CARE. You can see your docotr in his office, you can get x-rays somehwere else and there are a many better motels. www.BetterNursingCare.com
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