Nursing Home Safe Staffing

[-jt]

Nursing Home Safe Staffing Bill Passes in NY!

"State Nurses Association Hails Assembly Passage

of Nursing Home Staffing Bill

Albany, N.Y.- The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) applauded today's passage of nursing home staffing legislation (A4171-A) by the New York State Assembly and urged similar action in the State Senate (S2185).......

NYSNA, with more than 33,000 registered nurse members, has been a strong advocate for safe staffing in all healthcare facilities. The staffing guidelines, submitted by NYSNA and outlined in this bill are urgently needed to ensure quality care in nursing homes. Improved staffing, better working conditions, and better pay also will encourage nurses to practice in long-term care.........

The bill approved by the Assembly requires that:

***every nursing home have an RN supervisor on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It also provides minimum requirements for staffing of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and certified nurses aides.***

These levels are consistent with recommendations by the Nursing Home Community Coalition........

NYSNA is pleased that this bill also requires:

*** disclosure of data related to quality of care, such as rates of medication errors, resident injuries, pressure ulcers, and infections.***

Residents and their families must have easy access to such information so they can make informed judgments about their nursing home care............

With more than 33,000 members, NYSNA is the leading organization for registered nurses in New York state and is one of the largest representatives of RNs for collective bargaining in the nation. A multi-purpose organization, NYSNA fosters high standards for nursing education and practice and works to advance the profession through legislative activity. For more information, call Mark Genovese at NYSNA 1-800-724-NYRN "

http://www.NYSNA.org

[essarge]

Catlady,

You stated:

"For that matter, licensed nursing is getting to be the same way. Nobody who's really sharp would consider this career field any more."

This is an insult to anyone who is entering this field. You are directing this to people (young and non-traditional) that will be taking care of you when you are no longer able to care for yourself.

There are many, many, hurdles to overcome for people entering this field. At our university, there are tests before each semester (to make sure that the material taught in the past is retained), during the semester (not just the exams), and following the semester. This does not include the NCLEX and CEU's required for liscensure.

The world of CNA's is also constantly changing for the better.

Please don't put all the apples in one bushel, it is degrading. Not only to the profession, but to yourself too!!

[catlady, BSN, RN]

Essarge, I stand by what I said. I didn't say that nurses are stupid, only that those whose intellect gives them many career options will, in the current cultural and economic environment, probably take one of those other options. And for the most part, they'd be dumb not to. I am not sure what your point is regarding exams and CEUs. All of us have taken exams, including the NCLEX; some of us have more CEUs than God.

Look, I have a high IQ myself, as do many other nurses, but most bright young people these days--at least the ones who think with their heads and not their hearts--are going to bypass nursing and pick some other, less stressful, more lucrative career field that challenges their minds without sacrificing their souls. This isn't any different than what the media is saying, too.

I don't want to get into the BSN argument, either, but I have to think that if you need a four-year degree to become an RN, you're going to drive away many, many teenagers who until now have been able to say, "Gee, rather than spend four whole years of my life and my money going to college, I can go to school for two or three years and go to work sooner in a good paying professional job as a nurse." Lots of them will either skip school altogether, or pick a different major when they enroll in college. Now is *not* the time to be eliminating pathways to becoming an RN.