Nurses: When Will You Take Action for Safe Staffing?

**NursesTakeDC**

Nurses comment every day on social media about staffing issues. I just wish they'd take it one step further. Words matter—but action is your true power.

Action—as in organizing to educate yourselves.
Action— as in showing up to a 2-day event, NursesTakeDC, a Conference with CEs and a Rally/Lobby Day on April 21-22, 2020.
Action— as in then meeting with your legislators to convince them why they must pass federal legislation to support nurses staffing ratios—and acuity. Because the complaining on social media just becomes background noise.
And I want you to —ROAR. Then you will be heard.

Professor Linda Aiken's Study on Nurse Staffing

Another way to take action is happening right now in Illinois and New York—nurses pay attention! Could you tell all your Illinois and New York APRN, RN and LPN colleagues to complete Professor Linda Aiken's study survey on the quality of nurse staffing in Illinois and New York? Did YOU complete it? Only 8,361/180+k nurses in IL and 14,226/334+k in NY responded to the email survey as of December 20th. Less than a 5% response rate.

I'm quite shocked. And angry.

And this is why.

Why Should You Respond to a Survey?

In Illinois, we've had the Nurse Staffing by Acuity Act since 2008 - A law that states hospitals must purchase an acuity tool and form staffing committees comprised of bedside nurses and management. A law without any penalty to somehow enforce hospitals to comply. As a result, few hospitals do in fact comply. In fact, the ANA-IL collected data from nurses to show just how unsafe staffing is in Illinois. And NursesTakeDC completed a survey concurrently with ANA-IL which duplicated similar results for Illinois.

How Can Nurses Fight for Safe Staffing Laws?

So what is the answer to move us forward? How can nurses fight for safe staffing laws? I believe it's by mandating safe staffing ratios that include patient acuity and penalties if hospitals do not act in good faith. The ANA and the AHA state its laws are like Illinois's. Illinois nurses say—No way! We are attempting to pass the Illinois Bill HB2604 Safe Patient Limits Act, similar to California nurse to patient ratio legislation from 2004. Illinois and New York nurses must tell their state legislators their unsafe staffing stories—like I did with the NPR affiliate interview with Philadelphia's WHYY and Chicago's WBEZ.

However, how can nurses impact on safe nurse staffing if nurses in Illinois and New York choose NOT to be a part of Professor Aiken's survey study? An evidenced-based nursing study— which we, as nurses, have a responsibility to participate in. We are expected to advocate, impact and improve patient safety, as well as our own profession of nursing— on healthcare policy in Illinois and New York. These 2 states have pending legislation, HB2604/S.1908 in Illinois and A2954/S1032 in New York.

Illinois and New York Nurses Should Complete the Survey

All Illinois and New York nurses should complete the email survey, not just hospital-based nurses. Even currently inactive and retired nurses who are holding an active license to practice. Please remember—it as an independent, objective research project— to inform the policy debate about patient to nurse ratios in Illinois and New York. Additionally, a large part of the study is to link your responses with actual patient outcomes. Please complete the study survey, your voice does count.

Search Your Email

The email survey is from the National Council on State Boards of Nursing and the respective state's Board of Nursing—IDFPR in Illinois and NYSEOP in New York. Make sure you search your email— all folders including, the junk folder for NCSBN. It was sent to the email you used when you renewed your license. Please do this and be a part of history—evidenced-based research on the quality of nurse staffing in Illinois and New York.

You Can Affect the Future of Nurse Staffing

Finally, your participation may have implications for the future of nurse staffing in all states. Imagine that. You will be a part of evidenced-based research on healthcare policy and nurse staffing. Here's your chance now. So—what's stopping you?

And get yourselves to NursesTakeDC. Now.