Nurse Acuity Bill vs Staffing ratios

[trulynurseatheart]

Hello All,

I was wondering how your hospital is using the "Nursing Acuity Bill" and if there have been any significant changes sine it went into effect January 2008.

We just recently had a meeting for the "nursing care committee" which meets to discuss nursing acuity bill. I do not feel that we have been allowed to increase staffing when we are considered to be 'full staff' on days. If we are short, we argue acuity and call the supervisor regularly until we can get someone. Sometimes, we don't. We are not usually short, but it has been more frequent since they are not allow prescheduled over time anymore. On nights, they may give an extra CNA if available, if the acuity and number is high. Usually they are only available because we have a closed unit (one unit has been closed for the majority of the time since June). I feel we have no way to hold the hospital accountable for proper staffing.

Also at our last meeting, the CEO told us the 'horror stories' of California nurse-staff ratios. Hospital closures, nurses working without CNAs, shortages in staffing in other places, etc. I do not know if they are all to blame on the nurse staff ratios, and felt she brought this up a scare tactic.

Do you have a meeting about the Nursing Acuity Bill? Has your hospital made changes? Have you seen any improvements?

Thanks!

[unreallly]

I heard California passed a bill that Nurses to patient ratio cannot be more than 6:1, Is this true? If this is true, I wish IL would do the same. At my facility, if we have less than 18 patients on our floor, I am the only nurse! Management do not consider admissions, acuity, d/c, codes, answering phones, charting, orders, etc in factoring how stressful my job is!