Southern Arizona Nurses Coalition fighting ICU 1:3 staffing ratio law

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

New Arizona Title 9 rules governing hospitals maintain the previously established but substandard minimum RN-to-patient ICU staffing ratio of 1:3. The new rules became effective October 1, 2002. The proposed and implemented regulations with justifications are available at

http://www.sosaz.com/aar/2002/27/final.pdf

SAZNC and many pro-active Arizona direct-care nurses support a 1:2 ratio. SAZNC has secured two seats on a new hospital-rules task force, overseen by the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), that began meeting in October, 2002.

The task force has again taken up the ICU ratio issue.

SAZNC needs your involvement and support to advance the safer 1:2 ratio. Click here

to link to a support letter that can be copied, signed, and sent to SAZNC. Please distribute copies of the letter to your colleagues (especially ICU nurses) and encourage them to do the same. Be sure to send a letter in yourself.

Get involved! Effect change in nursing and healthcare for yourselves, your patients and your loved ones

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Bump.

[Travellin Guy]

I am new to this site and in looking at a lot of the postings I see a lot of nurses trying to get either the hospital or the legislators to do something. The action always seems to try to get someone else legislators or hospital to make changes. Has it ever been tried that the nurses simply make a decision that they are only going to take two patients? This would involve all the staff working together and supporting each other which is a challenge in itself. Think of the power we carry as nurses with the simple statement of no. No, we feel three is unsafe and effective May 1 we will accept into our care two patients. The response would be interesting.