[RN Power Ohio]

1) Nothing in HB 346 will change the status quo in Ohio’s hospitals. There is nothing in the bill which makes the hospitals accountable for setting safe standards. The language throughout the bill is weak and ineffectual.
2) HB 346 will neither save lives nor reverse the shortage of nurses who are willing to work in hospitals. A similar bill was passed in Texas which only resulted in an increase in the RN vacancy rate and turnover rate!
3) HB 346 will perpetuate the economic disparities in hospital care … by asking for “flexibility” the Ohio Hospital Assn. really wants to be able to set different standards for different hospitals, according to the hospital’s financial situation. This will continue worse nursing care in hospitals in disadvantaged communities. Furthermore, most hospitals in Ohio are doing well financially.
4.) Just read the fiscal analysis of the bill it tells it all. No costs for increased staffing- only paper! http://www.lbo.state.oh.us/fiscal/fi...a/HB0346IN.htm
5.) No whistleblower protection!
6.) Hospitals already have staffing plans.
7.) Hospitals already have nurse staffing committees

A Real Ratio Bill is being introduced soon!

[AltecRN]

Originally Posted by RN Power Ohio

Ok, what good does it do to fight for ineffective and meaningless legislation? No one is hoping to get any staffing legislation passed in the next few months except OHA. If our legislature is not ready it is because we have not made them ready. Democrats, republicans, conservatives and liberals all have a vested interest in this issue. Patient safety. If we are putting efforts into low standard because it is "winnable" what have we really "won"?
Furthermore, why enact legislation that has not worked in other states? Not only California but also Texas, Illinois and Massachusetts. This is a foolhardy mission. Should every state endure a 12 year fight for a minimum mandate?
What is so radical about a limit to the number of patients a nurse can care for? That sounds like basic common sense to me.
If you look at the statistics you will see there are more than enough RN's in the state of Ohio to implement ratio's today! Maybe if work environment became more manageable nurses like myself who work part time would return to the workforce full time. One of the nurses touting herself as having a "key role" in bringing HB 346 to the table was not even aware that similar legislation has been introduced in other states. Why not seek out the facts before assuming that one position is wrong. Why not work together for real life-saving, nurse-saving legislation? There are already many initiatives to increase education. Why is everyone ovelooking the fact that there are people dying (more than breast cancer and aids combined) and that there is a hole in the bucket.. we can graduate as many new nurses as possible but if all experienced nurses leave we will always have a shortage. Why should any young person choose bedside nursing as a career under the circumstances that exist today? We need to fight the right fight together and then we can acheive the right outcome!

You are making value judgements to match the fact the only thing you will except is specific nurse/patient ratios. You also seem a bit politically naive to think we can immediately change all legislators minds to agree on this subject. The current proposed legislation is not ineffective and meaningless, it is a beginning. As far as vested interest on the part of legislators there are many issues one would think all legislators have a vested interest in yet they can hardly agree that the sky is blue.

I would like you to show me that statistics that there are enough nurses currently in Ohio today to staff for ratios? I do not think that patient/ratio staffing is radical but many lawmakers do. Remember we are in an election year and politicos will tell you many things to get your support.

No one is overlooking the safety factors and mortality rates but unfortunately in politics and law-making one has to "play the game". I do not think nurse/patient ratios are wrong but do feel there is a more effective way to work towards solving the problem than spinning my wheels for something that in the current atmosphere is just not going to happen. Along with advocacy and fighting the right fight is taking off the rose colored glasses and being realistic. I applaud your enthusiasm but am saddened by your naivte.

[RN Power Ohio]

The statistics on RN licensure and RN's needed can be found on the Ohio Board of Nursing web site and the Ohio Hospital Association website. I am not exact but there are nearly 50,000 more RN's licensed in the state of Ohio than are estimated needed by the OHA.
How is codifying the status quo a baby step? The provisions in HB 346 already exist. No legislation can be effective without the right for RN's to speak out about patient safety concerns without fear of retribution. Why is this missing from HB 346?
Why would anyone want a law that changes nothing. I may be niave but I know I am ready to leave direct care nursing, as are many nurses my age, because I am tired of watching my patients suffer and die needlessly. I am not alone.
I know that it may take a long time but I am not in a rush. I believe it is my duty to demand life-saving legislation and nothing less. It will certainly take much longer to acheive effective legislation when nurses stand divided.

[Julia RN]

Politically speaking-
If you convince one legislator that the current bill does not go far enough to address the patient safety and nursing shortage crisis, more will follow.
The real stumbling block here is the endorsement of the Ohio Hospital Association and the money they will spend to thwart any efforts to pass minimum ratios http://www.friendsofohiohospitals.org/

[RN Power Ohio]

We have convinced legilsators that the current bill does not do anything. The Ohio Hospital Patient Protection Act is on the cusp of introduction- this requires legislative support and we have it! We know that the fight is a money battle but we are ready to take it on! As we bring this issue to the public they are outraged. We need to continue to shed the light and bring our communities to stand beside us. Look at what has been happening in Texas re their patient protection act (ratio's) the community supports nurses there because nurses are speaking out! Not just a few nurses but thousands. Nurses joined together in short order there - this is a more "conservative" state than Ohio. Read some of the bulletins and press releases...
http://www.calnurses.org/nnoc/texas/

[Julia RN]

RN Power Ohio-
Wish you much success with the campaign!!
Sounds like the nurses in Ohio are ready for something better!!

I wonder if the majority of ONA members support their legislation. They better watch out, or they might loose some bargaining units. Now that they have disaffiliated from the UAN- they could be raided. I've heard that the decision to disaffiliate was not made by the members there, but by their board of directors. Not clear if they checked with their membership before making the decision.

[AltecRN]

Originally Posted by Julia RN

RN Power Ohio-
Wish you much success with the campaign!!
Sounds like the nurses in Ohio are ready for something better!!

I wonder if the majority of ONA members support their legislation. They better watch out, or they might loose some bargaining units. Now that they have disaffiliated from the UAN- they could be raided. I've heard that the decision to disaffiliate was not made by the members there, but by their board of directors. Not clear if they checked with their membership before making the decision.

As an ONA member I can say that the local units were advised and consulted during the period of decision making.

This was not a decision made lightly and there is over a 2 year history of events that led up to this decision. Unless one knows the facts and the history leading up to the decision made by Ohio, New York, Washington and Oregon it is unfair to base one's ideas on rumors and innuendo.

It was not the board of directors that made this decision, in fact in Ohio they are legally prohibited from making that type of decision. There is a council of unionized members within ONA that makes those types of decisions. Not sure whose is spreading rumors but they need to check their facts and the law.

And just because the decision was made to disassociate from UAN does not mean they are not associated with a national organization and are not protected from "raiding".

[RN Power Ohio]

2007 OSHHRA FALL CONFERENCE
And the
2007 OHA/Jones Day Fall Conference

Offered by:

The Ohio Hospital Association and

The Ohio Society of Healthcare Human Resources Administrators
September 26, 2007
CNA and Other Health Care Unions

(G. Roger King, Partner, Jones Day)
CNA is not going away. In fact, CNA continues to be active in Ohio. Indeed,
many unions consider Ohio as fertile ground for new activities. What can we
expect to see next? Besides Cleveland, Youngstown and Toledo, where are the
unions active? Are they targeting only nurses or other health care employees
too? Insight into organized labor’s plans and strategies will be shared with
participants, including an update of health care union activities in other regions
of the country.

Held just one week after announcement of ratio's and one week before the introduction of HB 346.

[RN Power Ohio]

Originally Posted by mzpro5RN

As an ONA member I can say that the local units were advised and consulted during the period of decision making.

It was not the board of directors that made this decision, in fact in Ohio they are legally prohibited from making that type of decision. There is a council of unionized members within ONA that makes those types of decisions. Not sure whose is spreading rumors but they need to check their facts and the law..

Yes but did that council poll all it's members asking for input about what items should be included in staffing legislation? How many direct care nurses were asked what they wanted and needed to improve staffing in their facilities? Whatever happened to the mandatory overtime bill that ONA put forth?

[Julia RN]

On the UAN disaffiliation-

Sorry mzpro5RN- It was one of the other states that I was thinking of when I stated the board made the decision. Gets confusing between Oregon and Ohio both being "ONA". I would think these laws are national and so wonder why it wasn't the same in all four states in terms of the structure making the decision. Still, I would have thought the union members would have been able to vote on such a drastic move that appears to be a violation of ANA's current bylaws. I know something about the history, and the "facts" are disputed by both sides. But this is off topic and deserves a new thread.

Are you saying Ohio is still a member of the AFL at the national level? Don't you have to have a charter to be a member? The AFL unions that represent nurses support a federal bill that has mandated minimum ratios which are adjustable for acuity and other factors. Does ONA support this bill or the ANA one that is more similar to the Ohio "staffing committee" bill?