The Safe Staffing for Nurse and Patient Safety Act of 2018
Assignment 2
The Safe Staffing for Nurse and Patient Safety Act of 2018
The core of nurse advocacy is promoting and enacting legislation that benefits nurses and patients. Nurses voice on behalf of their patients, communities, and profession every day. Still, it is also critical that they offer their knowledge to elected officials when they create and approve legislation that affects nursing. A bill that would enhance treatment and help keep nurses and patients safe was presented by bipartisan supporters of the American Nurses Association in the House of Representatives and the Senate (ANA Capitol Beat, 2018). The Safe Staffing for Nurse and Patient Safety Act of 2018 was introduced by supporters including Rep. David Joyce (R-OH-14), Suzan DelBene (D-WA-10), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1), and Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI-2) (S. 2446, H.R. 5052).
According to the legislation, hospitals must form a committee with a minimum of 55 percent of direct care nurses to develop unit-specific nurse staffing plans. Nurses around the nation know that when units are understaffed, patients risk prolonged hospital stays, a rise in infections, and unnecessary injuries (ANA Capitol Beat, 2018). A decrease in nurse retention and increased injury and burnout rates are all consequences of understaffing. The quality of patients’ care is significantly impacted by the presence of registered nurses (RNs). Appropriate nurse staffing reduces the risk of death while keeping patients secure and safeguarding them from avoidable complications. The Safe Staffing for Nurse and Patient Safety Act gives direct care nurses the authority to identify their patients’ particular and changing needs to guarantee their safety and the effectiveness of the treatment they get (ANA Capitol Beat, 2018). However, the U.S. still experiences nurse shortages or understaffing in specific practice areas such as emergency departments. Additional steps to address understaffing include:
- Improving and simplifying the hiring process.
- Employing data-driven hiring decisions.
- Increasing retention by reducing and preventing nurse burnout.
- Creating clear career growth and development paths.
References
ANA Capitol Beat. (2018). Introducing the Safe Staffing for Nurse and Patient Safety Act. https://anacapitolbeat.org/2018/03/01/introducing-the-safe-staffing-for-nurse-and-patient-safety-act/
