Ohio General Assembly considering nurse staffing bill

The Ohio General Assembly's House Health Committee is considering legislation (HB 346) that would require hospitals to consult a nursing care committee before making staffing plans. (Source: Gongwer News, Jan. 9, 2007.) On Wednesday, members of the National Nurses Organizing Committee testified that the measure "wouldn't define safe staffing levels and would allow hospitals to continue the practice of floating, where nurses work in units outside their specialty or training. In addition, they said the measure wouldn't protect nurses from retaliation if they point out an unsafe care situation for a patient." The Ohio Hospital Association has previously said the bill "would ensure that hospitals solicit input from direct care nurses when making staffing decisions and review evidence-based quality standards when creating staffing plans." The Ohio Nurses Association also supports the bill, saying it would "enhance patient care by providing for sufficient nurse staffing levels to help avoid potential medical errors."