Need Help With Nurse-patient Ratio Legislation - You Can Make A Difference!!!

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hello all...

my name is becky. i'm a nurse and a graduate student in maryland. our group (in school) is currently working on promoting a federal legislative bill on mandatory nurse-patient ratio's in medicare facilities (see federal bill hr 3656)...we need as many nurses as possible to support us... the more the better.... if you want to help, please print the following letter, which is a form letter found on the ana website, and sign it (you don't have to sign your full name if you are uncomfortable), place rn after your name and write what state you live in... i will take care of sending it to your legilators...

send it directly to me...

becky marcengill

p.o. box 776olney, maryland20830-0776

all help is greatly appreciated.....

at the end of may, i will return to let you all know how many responses i got

below is the letter

march 3, 2004

dear sir/madam:

i am writing to urge you to cosponsor s 991/hr 3656 the "registered nurse safe staffing act of 2003." this legislation seeks to ensure that patients receive safe, quality nursing care in hospitals and other health care settings.

research demonstrates that when they are more registered nurses (rns), there are lower mortality rates, shorter lengths of stay, reduced costs and fewer complications. this bill requires the establishment of a staffing system that ensures a number of rns on each shift and in each unit of the hospital to ensure appropriate staffing levels for patient care.

the bill also provides public reporting of staffing information. hospitals must post daily for each shift the number of licensed and unlicensed staff providing direct patient care, specifically noting the number of rns.

the complexity and variability of today's hospitals necessitate that staffing patterns be determined at the hospital and unit level, with the input of the rns caring for patients at those institutions.

i urge you to cosponsor this important piece of legislation.

thank you,

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