Mandatory Nurse Ratios – Good for Massachusetts?

On November 6th, Massachusetts will vote on mandatory nursing levels. Proponents cite burnout, injuries and patient safety as reasons to vote YES. Opponents claim ERs wait times will rise, small hospitals will close and patient bills will increase.
There is no better way to get a sense of what is on the minds of healthcare leaders than talking with fellow conference attendees. At the recent SHSMD18 event, I had the opportunity to attend a social gathering hosted by the New England Society for Healthcare Communications (NESHCo). There was one topic that dominated the discussion – the upcoming vote on November 6th on mandatory nursing levels in Massachusetts.
Mandatory nurse ration has been a hotly debated issue in the state. Voters will now decide if the state will forge ahead with plans to “limit how many patients could be assigned to each registered nurse in Massachusetts hospitals and certain other health care facilities.”
The proposed MA law sets specific limits on the patient-nurse ratio. For example:

3 patients per nurse in units with step-down/intermediate care patients
1 patient under anesthesia per nurse in units with post-anesthesia care or operation room patients
5 patients per nurse in units with psychiatric or rehabilitation patients

The vote has pitted the Massachusetts Nurses Association (the nurses union, MNA), which strongly supports mandatory nurse ratios, against the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association (MHHA).
The MNA cites numerous stu...

Source: EMR and HIPAA - October 18, 2018 Category: Information Technology Authors: Colin Hung Tags: Digital Health Healthcare Human Resources Healthcare Labor Management hospital staffing mandatory nurse levels Nursing Source Type: blogs