[NRSKarenRN]

from AHA's Hospital & Health Networks:

Nurse Staffing Laws: Should You Worry?
Terese Hudson Thrall
For hospitals, bills range from onerous to OK

Leading Advocate
Nursing groups nearly always lead the legislative charge. Zenei Cortez, R.N., traces the efforts back to the 1990s when cash-crunched hospitals cut back their nurses and hired more unlicensed personnel. Nurses have been trying to gain more say on the staffing issue ever since, says Cortez, a member of the President’s Council created by the Oakland-based California Nurses Association and the National Nurse Organizing Committee.
On the other hand, Jean Moore, director of the Center for Health Workforce Studies at the State University of New York’s Albany School of Public Health, says pressure to improve quality of care, bolstered by reports from the Institute of Medicine and others that indicate a relationship between staffing and outcomes, has made staffing a priority with state legislatures. “When you cut to the chase, it’s about preserving quality and not putting nurses in a situation where they are likely to do harm,” she says.
The ongoing shortage of nurses also has focused attention on the staffing issue.

[RN Power Ohio]

This quote from the article really highlights the fundamental disconnect between adminstrators, executives anddirect care nurses.

At Ohio Health & Sciences University, Jason says the hard work of setting up staffing committees could bear even more fruit. Committee members might next consider reengineering bedside care to improve nurse performance. “What is making the nurses so busy? Is it how they interact with doctors? The documentation they prepare?” she asks.

What makes nurses so busy? The high volume of very sick patients they have to care for! I will never understand why hospitals cannot figure this out. They will spend millions on technology to increase efficiency yet refuse to staff safely. Carrying cell phones that interupt patient care so that we can efficiently take calls from physicians and canned electronic charting that fails to effectively communicate patient care issues is neither going to improve patient safety or nursing efficiency.
So many research dollars are wasted looking for alternatives to safe staffing.

[lindarn]

Every one is missing the point- hospitals DO REALIZE THAT SHORT STAFFING IS DANGEROUS! IT IS MORE IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO CONTROL THE NURSING STAFF THAN TO STAFF SAFELY!

Yes, as long as they short staff, make you work mandatory OT, prevent you from unionizing and gaining control over the workplace, can fire you because you work in an "at will state", or "right to work state", they control you. Nurses are 100% responsible for this because, when nurse were first allowed to organize in the 60's nurses rejected unions, under the excude that unions were "unprofessional'. That baloney was of course, fed to nurses by hospital administrations, who were then, and now, still TERRIFIED OF NURSES FINALLY CALLING THEIR BLUFF, AND ORGANIZE EN MASSE! And nurses, then and now, bought that nonsense hook, line, and sinker. If nurses had organized then and taken control of their profession, 2008 would be a very differant picture. JMHO, and my NY $0.02.

Lindarn, Rn, BSN, CCRN
Spokane, Washington

[RN Power Ohio]

Years ago one study was done that demonstrated if a physician was present in the ICU more people lived. Within one year physicians were in our ICU. Over 45 studies have been done over the past 15 years demonstrating patients die because there are not enough nurses at the bedside....where are all the nurses?!

[MLOS]

Originally Posted by RN Power Ohio

So many research dollars are wasted looking for alternatives to safe staffing.

Amen.

[KaroSnowQueen]

Originally Posted by MLOS

Amen.

[nicurn001]

Originally Posted by RN Power Ohio

So many research dollars are wasted looking for alternatives to safe staffing.

Because the research keeps coming up with the wrong answer . MORE STAFF is needed , Not the answer management wants !

[mdfog10]

Yes, MORE RNs at the bedside is the answer. Not elitist and disconnected nursing management. My hospital claims they have a "lean" management team. I feel like I have to fight to deliver basic care to my patients. Constant interruptions from phone calls, arguing my acuities to my manager, computer charting, communicating with everyone under the sun, being updated on the latest policy change and what to say to state auditors. Hurry up, do it all and don't make a mistake!!!!!