[Boston-editorial] new feature: Nurses demand safe staffing ratios

[Matthew Williams]

Nurses demand safe staffing ratios
by Bryan G. Pfeifer, bgp (nospam) iacboston.org

BOSTON -- Hundreds of nurses and health care activists from across New 
England rallied at the statehouse July 14 to demand legislators pass 
state legislation mandating safe nurse-to-patient ratios.

The one-day action sponsored by The Massachusetts Nurses Association 
union was a continuation of mass state-wide actions in an effort to 
pass House Bill 2663 “An Act Ensuring Patient Safety,” 
(www.massnurses.org).

Similar to California state mandated nurse-to-patient ratio legislation 
won by the California Nurses Association, the MNA supported bill would 
mandate safe staffing levels based on specific hospital location and 
specialties. In intensive care the bill calls for one nurse to two 
patients while in medical and surgical units the nurse-to-patient ratio 
would be 1-to-4.

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18 Jul 2005 | Filed under: News / Labor : Social Welfare