Nurses demand lawmakers force hospitals to ease workload.

[Justme123]

Nurses Demand Lawmakers Force Hospitals To Ease Workload

Wednesday, June 18, 2008 3:13 AM

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COLUMBUS, Ohio-Nurses gathered outside the Statehouse on Tuesday to demand legislation preventing hospitals from assigning too many patients to each nurse. Members of the National Nurses Organizing Committee said when a nurse has to supervise 14 patients in a unit, the workload leads to errors and puts patients at risk, ONN's Dan Weist reported.

Linda Fearer of Girard is not a nurse, but she attended Tuesday's rally. Fearer believes her husband died because the hospital did not have enough nurses for all its patients, even though a jury disagreed.

"He might be here today but for the fact that his nurses were overworked," Fearer said.

Nurse Michelle Mahon of Cleveland said adding more nurses will not raise health care costs.

"Hospitals make more than enough money," Mahon said. "If you look at the bottom line at these hospitals, they're in the millions and yet they are sacrificing patient's lives."

Hospital administrators disagree.

Tiffany Himmelreich of the Ohio Hospitals Association said the nurses' proposal is unnecessary and will hinder, rather than improve patient care.

"Arbitrary ratios do not improve patent care," Himmelreich said. "Giving hospitals flexibility to make sure the right nurses and the right staff are in the right unit at the right time improves patient care."

A similar law was passed in California, and sympathetic Ohio lawmakers plan to introduce a bill sometime soon.

[Batman24]

Tiffany Himmelreich of the Ohio Hospitals Association said the nurses' proposal is unnecessary and will hinder, rather than improve patient care.

"Arbitrary ratios do not improve patent care," Himmelreich said. "Giving hospitals flexibility to make sure the right nurses and the right staff are in the right unit at the right time improves patient care."

A similar law was passed in California, and sympathetic Ohio lawmakers plan to introduce a bill sometime soon.

Gotta love anyone who thinks more nurses and better staffing would hinder care. God help anyone who actually believes that. Good for the nurses. I pray more states do follow Cali's lead.

[MAISY, RN-ER, BSN, RN]

Personally I emailed the OHA congratulating them on having such a brilliant mind fronting their organization. I also mentioned that I hope Ohio lawmakers will do the right thing and that NJ is next in line for tIhis overdue move.

Ratios really won't affect me unless ICU/CCU patients are required to get the same care in the ER as in the units. Then you'll have a bunch of ER nurses jumping up and down!:yeah:For everyone else, I'd just like to make a safer more bearable day.

Maisy

[MisterSimba, BSN]

Good for them!!! :redbeathe Not only are these nurses standing up for themselves, but also for their patients' safety! I do not have any nursing experience yet, but have observed how much work is involved. 14 patients??? I don't see how it's possible to safely care for that many patients! How scary!!!

I worked at a daycare in an infant room for over a year, and each teacher was allowed to care for up to four infants, and never more than that. If a fifth baby arrived, another teacher had to come in, no excuses! And this is for healthy infants.....so what makes management (or whoever decides ratios) think that one nurse can safely take care of over a dozen patients??? :angryfire