Unsafe Nurse Staffing Ratios - Not Just in the U.S.

[tnbutterfly - Mary, BSN]

We know that the topic of staffing ratios has been in the news in the U.S. We are not alone in our fight for safer staffing ratios and quality patient care. The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) is also campaigning for mandated staff ratios to protect older nursing home residents stating.

In the absence of mandated ratios, dangerously low-levels of nurse and career staffing continue to put the lives of the elderly at risk.

I feel like sometimes I am on a production line, you don't get enough time to properly care for residents

There are fewer and fewer nurses to care for the increasing number of residents.

...at a time when the profits of aged care providers continue to rise... The ANMF says this shows that the system is all about "profits before people"

Sound familiar?

What are your thoughts?

For more on this story about staffing ratios in Australia, read Ratios for Aged Care. Make Them Law. Now.

[cyc0sys]

nursestakedc

[Leader25, ASN, BSN, RN]

From what I have been told nurses in eastern european hospitals work for tips.If you want the better doc you have to tip,if you want the better dentist same thing.

[tnbutterfly - Mary, BSN]

nursestakedc

allnurses is going to DC. Nurse Beth is going to speak at the rally.

[guest769224]

I hope the rally really gets our voices heard and can get legislation passed.

We need California's ratio laws to become a national standard.

While I remain hopeful, it seems hospitals will push back quite a bit against any sort of ratio law.

[Flatline, BSN, RN]

LOL.

While the goal is noble, I fear that this constant push for a federal law is misguided. Instead of trying to move a mountain by pushing the entire thing at once, why don't we move it rock by rock? California was the first rock, let the other 43* states be the other rocks. If the national associations would pool their efforts and focus on the issue on a state by state level things would happen a lot faster. The lobby hurdle for each state is far smaller than the entire freaking country.

Australia, much like the United States, has states that have staffing ratio requirements. Keep in mind Australia has a population about the same as Texas.

[Have Nurse, ADN, RN]

So much for ethics.

[tnbutterfly - Mary, BSN]

For additional discussion on staffing ratios in the U.S., go to:

Nurse Beth and Keith Carlson Talk About Staffing Ratios & NursesTakeDC

Safe Nurse Staffing FB Live Video #2 - How to Influence Your Legislators

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

I hope the rally really gets our voices heard and can get legislation passed.

We need California's ratio laws to become a national standard.

While I remain hopeful, it seems hospitals will push back quite a bit against any sort of ratio law.

You are right, the American Hospital Association (AHA) is opposing safe minimum nurse-patient ratios.

But...we are over 3 million strong.

If we each give our Representative just one phone call and say "My name is Beth Hawkes, I'm an RN and a constituent. I'm calling to ask you to vote YES on S. 2392 and H.R. 1063. Thank you" then these bills will get passed.

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

LOL.

While the goal is noble, I fear that this constant push for a federal law is misguided. Instead of trying to move a mountain by pushing the entire thing at once, why don't we move it rock by rock? California was the first rock, let the other 43* states be the other rocks. If the national associations would pool their efforts and focus on the issue on a state by state level things would happen a lot faster. The lobby hurdle for each state is far smaller than the entire freaking country.

I'm from California and the lobby hurdle is no less at the state level. The primary lobbyists against safe minimum nurse-patient ratios (H.R. 1063/S.2392) are the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the American Nursing Association (ANA) and they are strong lobbyists at every level.

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

Does Australia have universal health care? (I would think that would affect the profit motive to some degree, if profit seeking is what is keeping staffing too low...)

[Alberto73]

Yes they do...same in Italy and we have some kind of nurse/patients ratio but it is in low level of acuity wards about 10/12 patients per nurse. In some skilled nursing facility with low acuity patients we got up to 40/50 per nurse.