Just imagine you or a loved one were admitted to the hospital and had to wait an extended period to receive the care desperately needed. Would that sit right with you?
It has been stated time and time again that there is a nationwide shortage of nurses, but is that the problem?
Nursing, the largest healthcare profession within the U.S. with over 5 million active registered nurses, still needs to improve to maintain safe staffing ratios to improve patient care. There is not a shortage of nurses, but a shortage of nurses willing to work in stressful and unsafe conditions.
The daunting physical, mental, and emotional stress experienced by those in the nursing profession leads to decreased work satisfaction and extreme burnout. This is a primary driving force for those quitting their jobs or leaving the profession.
Safe staffing is essential to reported nurse satisfaction and contributes significantly to improving patient outcomes, minimizing on-the-job injuries, and decreasing medication errors. All of these factors can cost patients their lives!
As an Intensive Care Unit nurse, I love what I do. Nursing can be a gratifying career, but success depends on the support and resources available. Working during COVID-19, I saw firsthand how patient conditions can suffer when staffing is inadequate.
Currently, 16 states have addressed nurse staffing through regulations and laws, but only two have addressed and mandated nurse-to-patient ratios. In May of 2021, a bill was introduced to the Senate and House of Representatives regarding federally mandated safe nursing standards, which dictate hospitals’ responsibilities and expectations, nurse-to-patient ratios, and unsafe working conditions to which nurses may object. Unfortunately, that seems to be where it ended – an introduction. There has been no movement on this bill since May 13, 2021. In April of 2023, this bill was reintroduced to the House of Representatives and the Senate. However, as of March 2023, it remains an introduction, and no further action has been taken.
We MUST do more! Given this “post-COVID Surge Era,” in which many nurses have either left the bedside or retired early due to working conditions, we must put increased pressure on our state and federal legislators to create more ironclad state regulations and ultimately “end all, be all” federal laws.
This can be done by writing to state representatives and urging them to vote in favor of bills H.R. 2530 and S.1113, currently active in Congress. These bills, which outline clear and safe nurse staffing ratios, were introduced to the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Remember, these individuals are not nurses and may not understand how significant these bills are to improving patient outcomes. It is up to us to continue bringing this concern to the forefront. Increasing awareness will bring change, and this change will lead to a safer and happier healthcare system.
- Safe Staffing Saves Lives - April 15, 2024