Print PDF version
Whats New in the
Patient Safety World
August 2021
The New NY State
Law on Nursing Staffing
Weve done many columns supporting improved nursing staffing, not only to make the lives of our dedicated nurses better, but also as a means to improve patient safety. A year ago we reported on NY State legislative activities on this issue (see our September 1, 2020 Patient Safety Tip of the Week NY State and Nurse Staffing Issues).
Well, NY State finally did pass legislation on nursing staffing and the bill was recently signed into law by the governor (Reisman 2021, AP Staff 2021). But its not quite what was originally envisioned.
The previously proposed legislation would have mandated specific nurse:patient ratios for various healthcare venues.
The law that was recently enacted creates staffing committees at New York hospitals to assess guidelines for per patient staffing levels. Hospitals will be required to form committees composed of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, ancillary staff members providing direct patient care, and hospital administrators to form the staffing plans. Plans must be adopted and submitted to the NYS Department of Health by July 1, 2022.
While hospital opposition to mandated nursing staffing issues largely killed prior proposed legislation, the realities created by the COVID-19 pandemic forced the legislature to finally act.
This is certainly a step in the right direction, but well have to take a look in a year to see what sort of staffing plans get approval.
Some of our other columns on nursing workload and missed
nursing care/care left undone:
November 26, 2013 Missed Care: New Opportunities?
May 9, 2017 Missed Nursing Care and Mortality Risk
March 6, 2018 Nurse
Workload and Mortality
May 29, 2018 More
on Nursing Workload and Patient Safety
October 2018 Nurse
Staffing Legislative Efforts
February 2019 Nurse
Staffing, Workload, Missed Care, Mortality
July 2019 HAIs and Nurse Staffing
September 1, 2020 NY State and Nurse Staffing Issues
February 9, 2021 Nursing Burnout
References:
Reisman N. New laws will address staffing levels in New York hospitals. Spectrum News 2021; June 21, 2021
Associated Press Staff. New York Law Gives Nurses a Voice in Hospital Staffing Plans. Medscape Medical News 2021; June 21, 2021
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/953464
Print PDF version
http://www.patientsafetysolutions.com/
Whats New in
the Patient Safety World Archive