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| Quinn Wants Staffing Requirements for Hospital Nurses |
Lawmakers, health care advocates and nurses are rallying around an Illinois House bill that would set minimum nurse staffing levels at hospitals across the state.
"Given estimates that medical errors cause as many as 195,000 deaths a year, it's clear we have a crisis," Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn said. "Improving nurse staffing will help reduce medical errors, resulting in fewer patient deaths, reduced complications and shorter hospital stays."
State Rep. Mary Flowers (D-Chicago) introduced the bill over 18 months ago. This is the third time lawmakers have introduced this bill.
Flowers says lobbyists for hospitals have worked against the bill before. "It's been a nightmare," Flowers said. "The hospital association says that it costs too much and because the hospitals are not uniform across the state, they just can't imagine how a state law would be applicable to all hospitals across the state but it would really be quite simple."
Flowers says the patients and the type of patients at hospitals would determine the staffing needs.
Officials with the Association of State, County and Municipal Employees say the bill has a chance at becoming law because thousands of nurses have joined the effort.
The bill will officially be re-introduced in January.
Proposed minimum registered nurse-to-patient ratio by hospital unit:
1:1 – Operating rooms, trauma emergency units
1:2 – Critical care units, including ICU labor and delivery
1:3 – Emergency rooms
1:4 – Medical/Surgical units, specialty care, psychiatric units
1:5 – Rehab units
1:6 – Postpartum, well baby nursery
(Source: Illinois Radio Network) |
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| 09 18 08 by Newsroom |
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