Originally Posted by mzpro5RN
The Ohio Nurses Association does support HB 346 for several reasons:
- this is not looked on as the end all and be all of getting reasonable staffing levels in Ohio. Currently there is no legislation in Ohio related to RN staffing. This is a foot in the door and one that has the support of a number of legislators. It is realized this is not the best that can be done BUT for those familiar with Ohio politics it should be obvious that this is the best we can expect to have a decent chance of passing at this time. When you start out it is better to have half a loaf rather than no loaf.
- Ohio is not California, it is a conservative state ( I mean this in the general definition of conservative) A strict Nurse/Patient ratio staffing bill would have no chance of passing with the current make-up of the Ohio legislature, particularly the Ohio Senate. Pushing a strict ration law will only turn off those "fence-sitting" legislators that are needed to get an initial bill passed.
- It has been argued that California tried a similar law before the current ratio law and it didn't work but there is a point there - they took steps. By going with the initial law they were able to demonstrate that more was needed and it lead to the development of the current California ration law. Think the old phrase "baby steps"
Solving this situation is a process not a one step program.
If a Nurse/Patient ration bill were passed in the next several months where would we get all the nurses needed to meet the standards set. Our efforts need to be geared on a number of fronts including getting more adequate compensation for Nursing faculty, enlarging the nursing population and working for legislation to make a safer environment for our patients and our selves. Proposing radical solutions that look good and get people all riled up make for good sound bites but are impractical to implement at this time, turn off people needed to help us meet our goals and are not constructive solutions to the challenges facing all nurses.
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!
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I think the public deserves to know the Nurse to patient ratio AND the STNA ratios ! I am starting school tomorrow for Nursing and I am already an STNA ( for ten years ) and I have seen the outcome for overloaded Nurses and STNA's. It is ridiculous !! We are the ones that get yelled at if something goes wrong or doesn't get done. Nevermind the fact that we are one person and can only get so much done in 8 hours ! 
This ratio thing really gets under my skin ! 
