Safe Nurse Staffing

A growing body of research shows that the care provided by registered nurses has a direct impact on quality of hospital care and patient safety. An aging population, advances in technology and declining lengths of stay have steadily increased patient acuity in hospitals.

Nursing care requires continuous patient assessment, critical thinking and expert judgment, advocating on behalf of our patients, and educating patients and their families. Those activities are the essence of nursing care and are critical factors in avoiding preventable complications, injuries and avoidable deaths.

RNs are frequently forced to compromise the care they give to their patients. Unsafe nurse staffing is a dangerous practice that leads to medical errors, poorer patient outcomes and nursing injuries as well as burnout.

WSNA has worked to pass legislation in Olympia to ensure patient safety through safe nurse staffing. The Patient Safety Act contains the following core components:

• Minimum nurse staffing standards as a basis for nurse staffing in hospitals
• Individual staffing plans for each unit in each hospital with input from staff nurses
• Data collection of nursing-sensitive quality indicators; transparency of information to empower consumers
• Strong enforcement to hold hospitals accountable

Registered Nurses united for patient safety, quality health care and nursing retention!

News Updates

Nurse Staffing Bill Passes Washington State Legislature
April, 2008

New Research Fuels Debate Over California Nurse Staffing Ratios (external link)
April, 2008 (from the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation)

Review finds nurse-patient ratio law has little impact
March 21, 2008 (from the American City Business Journals / Sacramento)

 

Background Information - Document Downloads

Get the Facts on Safe Nurse Staffing (PDF;165 KB)

ANA's 9 Principles for Nurse Staffing (PDF; 77KB)

Utilization Guide for ANA's Principles of Nurse Staffing (PDF; 398KB)

Summary of Selected Research on Nurse Staffing and Outcomes (PDF; 99KB)

 

Action You Can Take at the National Level

Visit ANA's www.safenursestaffing.org web site for information about what you can do to help make safe nurse staffing a national standard.

Nursing Practice

Safe Nurse Staffing

Information

• News

Events

• Workshops

Background Information

• Get the Facts on Safe Nurse Staffing
  (PDF;165 KB)
• ANA's 9 Principles for Nurse Staffing
  (PDF; 77KB)
• Utilization Guide for ANA's Principles of Nurse Staffing
  (PDF; 398KB)
• Summary of Selected Research on Nurse Staffing and Outcomes
  (PDF; 99KB)