Pennsylvania Reps. Phyllis Mundy and Deberah Kula have introduced a nurse-to-patient ratios bill in the Pennsylvania State House, according to a news release from the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, a supporter of the bill.
HB 1874, which is modeled on a similar California law enacted in 1999, would amend the state's Health Care Facilities Act to establish minimum nurse-to-patient ratios throughout a hospital.
"It's important to note that retaining adequate nursing staff is crucial to good patient care, and that nurse-to-patient ratios are an important patient safety issue," said Rep. Mundy, in the release. "I am very concerned that, in trying to pinch pennies wherever they can, some healthcare facilities are cutting nursing staff to unsafe levels."
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This past February, Sen. Daylin Leach introduced SB 438, the companion bill to HB 1874.
Related Articles on Nursing Ratios:
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Study: California's Nurse-Patient Ratio Mandate Did Not Hurt Nursing Skill Level