Ohio Staffing Bill (HB 346)

This information appeared in the Ohio Nurses Association Member updated tht I received yesterday:

On Wednesday, February 6, 2008, Substitute HB 346, the Hospital Nurse Staffing Plan, gained momentum as the House Health Committee, chaired by Rep. Lynn Wachtmann, unanimously reported the bill favorably to the House of Representatives.

Lisa Rankin (ONA Lobbyist) and Bianca Miller testified on behalf of ONA.  Bianca Miller, a registered nurse for twenty years, testified regarding her personal experience with the impact that recent staffing changes have made to the qualify of care she provides and morale of staff at her hospital.  Ms. Miller further testified that her support for HB 346 rested on the hope that it was a “first step” in a different direction as bedside nurses have a voice in staffing decisions.  Ms. Miller powerfully stated, “In order to feel respected and valued, an organization needs to include the nurses in everyday operations…A committee with bedside nurses, hospital administration, and nursing management needs to be established.  An ongoing evaluation of the ANA [American Nurses Association] Staffing Principles needs to occur with established bench marks.”

The next step for Substitute HB 346 will be presentation to the full House to vote on, and, if passed, then the whole process begins again in the Senate.

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The American Nurses Association (ANA) believes staffing ratios need to be required by legislation but the number itself must be set at the unit level with RN input, rather than by the terms of the legislation. See http://www.safestaffingsaveslives.org/.

How do you feel about nurse staffing legislation? Should nursing staffing be legislated in your opinion? Do you support mandated nurse-patient staffing ratios or staffing principles like ANAs?

Comments

[Michelle Mahon]

The information about nurse to patient ratio's being disseminated by ONA/ANA/OHA et al, is inaccurate. The ratio is a minimum. The law specifically states that staffing should be improved when the patient acuity and nursing judgement demands it. In addition, the Ohio Patient Protection Act of 2008 (OPPA-ratios) also forbids eliminating other staff to meet the ratio. Other provisions in OPPA are much needed whistleblower protection and limits on the use of technology that interfere with nursing judgement. For more info: http://www.calnurses.org/nnoc/ohio/