DiagnosticsNew York State Senate Passes Nursing Care Quality Protection Act
The New York State Senate has passed the
Nursing Care Quality Protection Act, which requires healthcare facilities
to disclose information about nurse staffing to state regulators and the
public. The measure has been a top priority for the New York State Nurses
Association.
As the amount of care from registered nurses has a significant impact on
patients" health and safety, consistent documentation is needed to
determine staffing patterns in hospitals. Numerous studies have shown that
higher nurse staffing is associated with lower rates of infection, cardiac
arrest, and other complications.
The bill passed the State Assembly by a unanimous vote earlier this year.
The legislation requires each hospital to report the numbers of RNs and
LPNs providing direct care and the ratio of patients to nurses; the number
of unlicensed personnel providing direct care; the incidence of adverse
patient events such as medication errors and injuries; and the method the
hospital uses for determining and adjusting staffing levels.
"Information about nurse staffing is crucial to patients and should be
available to them and their families," said Tina Gerardi, RN, chief
executive officer of the Nurses Association. "Nurses across the state are
expecting Gov. Paterson to help us protect patients and sign this bill
into law."
Gerardi thanked the state legislature for supporting the bill, especially
Assemblyman Richard Gottfried and State Senator Thomas Duane for their
work in sponsoring the legislation.
The New York State Nurses Association