Over 600 Nurses rally at State Capitol for Patient Safety
RNs say improved nurse staffing results in better health outcomes
Over 600 Nurses rally at State Capitol for Patient Safety and Safe Staffing at Hospitals RNs say improved nurse staffing results in better health outcomes.
(Olympia)—More than 600 nurses gathered at the State Capitol today to advocate for the Patient Safety Act (HB 1809 and SB 5696),a bill to establish minimum standards for nurse staffing at acute care hospitals in Washington state. They were joined by members of the Senate and House of Representatives.
“There is no question about the relationship between staffing levels and patient outcomes,” said Representative Dawn Morrell (D-Puyallup), prime sponsor of the Patient Safety Act and an RN at Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup. “When we pass the Patient Safety Act, HB 1809, the nurses of our state will have an even stronger voice in ensuring quality patient care in our hospitals.”
The bill would direct the state Department of Health to develop hospital nurse staffing standards in consultation with nurses and other health professionals. Every hospital in the state would then be required to meet these standards by involving frontline RNs in creating staffing plans based on the standards and criteria such as census, intensity of patients, and skill mix of nursing personnel.
“Patients know that nurses are their strongest advocates in ensuring that they receive the highest quality care possible. Patients depend on the expertise, experience and dedication of their nurses,” said Diane Sosne, RN, MN, President of SEIU District 1199NW. “Nurses are the key to patient safety and positive health outcomes.”
Consistent with Governor Gregoire’s efforts to improve transparency in health care services, the Patient Safety Act requires that hospital staffing plans be publicly available. Having this information readily available to consumers will ensure higher quality care and foster better competition between hospital based on providing higher quality care.
“Patients and their families have a right to know they are receiving safe care. Under this bill, they will have access to the kind of information on which they can make more informed choices about where to seek care,” said Dawn Cutler, an RN at Providence St Peter Hospital in Lacey and member of UFCW Local 141. “With a limited number of patients, nurses know that they have enough time to meet the needs of those patients.”
“This legislation ensures safe and quality patient care by giving registered nurses at the bedside a voice in staffing decisions. Unsafe nurse staffing is the number one reason RNs leave the profession, addressing this critical issue will help alleviate the nursing shortage while improving care for our patients,” said Kim Armstrong, RN, President of the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA). “The Legislature and hospitals can't simply pay lip service to patient safety without making a commitment to enhance nurse staffing…the Patient Safety Act is the answer towards safe patient care.”
Inadequate staffing and lack of input are major reasons RNs leave nursing. The act provides nurses with meaningful input into nurse staffing levels, ensuring quality patient care, higher job satisfaction, and better retention of nurses.
According to the California Bureau of Registered Nursing, after the enactment of a law in California to improve nurse staffing, there were dramatic increases in the number of actively licensed registered nurses. The number of actively licensed RNs in California has grown by 10,000 per year, a rate three times greater than prior to the law.
“Our first and foremost concern is to put high-quality patient care front and forward. The Patient Safety Act will strengthen the pool of registered nurses providing that care,” said Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Seattle), a sponsor of SB 5969. “This is good policy and good medicine for hospital patients in our state.”
The bill would also direct the Department of Health to collect patient outcome data which are impacted by nurse staffing, further empowering consumers to make better health care decisions based on a hospital’s performance.
Today’s rally was organized by organizations which represent over 25,000 of Washington state’s registered nurses.
Service Employees International Union District 1199NW includes more than 20,000 nurses and health care employees working in hospitals and clinics across Washington state. SEIU is the nation's largest and fastest-growing health care union, with more than 900,000 health care workers united for quality patient care, good careers, and access to quality affordable health care for all.
Founded in 1908, Washington State Nurses Association is the professional organization representing more than 13,000 registered nurses in Washington state. WSNA effectively advocates for the improvement of health standards and availability of quality health care for all people; promotes high standards for the nursing profession; and advances the professional and economic development of nurses.
UFCW Local 141 are registered nurses from Washington state. We are proud to represent workers in 25 worksites in Washington, including small hospitals, medical centers, long term care, and medical clinics. We also represent occupational health and home health agency nurses