What other states are doing about nurse to patient ratios.

What other states are doing about nurse to patient ratios.

According to the Joint Commission, nothing is stated or mandated requiring reporting of nurse-to-patient staffing ratios. The federal government has also issued proposed recommendations for nurse-to-patient staffing ratios. While these regulations and recommendations offer guidance, they stop short of dictating state-specific policy. Each state is responsible for setting its own standard for nurse-to-patient staffing ratios. Only seven states require that hospitals internally monitor any nurse staffing metrics at all, let alone nurse-to-patient ratios. They only require reporting on a minimum of four metrics from a list focused on patient outcomes. Of the four metrics, two must involve human resource indicators such as overtime use. The other two must involve clinical or service indicators such as patient falls. In Colorado, the only clear parameter is one nurse to each unit (Gale Healthcare Solutions, 2021).

California is the only state in the country required by law to have specific nurse to patient ratio in each unit. Research and results have proven that these mandates show a direct relationship between RN staffing and improved outcomes (Aiken et al., 2019).

So what can we do to emulate California?

Mandate Minimum, Specific, Numerical Ratios
Require a Patient Classification System Additional RNs Added Based on Patient Acuity and Need
Regulate Use of Unlicensed Staff
Restrict Unsafe Floating of Nursing Staff

please reword and add on – this is for a website my group is building. My section is what other states are doing about nurse to patient ratios. Here are the sites I used for reference. YOu can use these or find new ones

Aiken, L. H., Sloane, D. M., Cimiotti, J. P., Clarke, S. P., Flynn, L., Seago, J. A., Spetz, J., & Smith, H. L. (2019). Implications of the California nurse staffing mandate for other states. Health services research, 45(4), 904921. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6773.2010.01114.x

Gale Healthcare Solutions. (2021, January 14). Nurse-to-Patient Ratios: A State-by-State Guide. Gale Healthcare Solutions. https://galehealthcaresolutions.com/nurse-to-patient-ratios-a-state-by-state-guide/

Last Completed Projects