January 12, 2006
Contact: Carol Feuss, MA
Labor Communications Specialist
Michigan Nurses Association
517/349-5640, ext. 21 or (cell) 517/230-4086
carol.feuss@minurses.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Michigan Nurses Association urges State lawmakers
to act on Safe Patient Care Legislation
Cites New Study that Shows More RN Staff
Improves Safety and Quality of Patient Care
Detroit, MI, January 12, 2006 – A new
study published this week in the journal Health
Affairs provides new evidence that if hospitals
invest in appropriate registered nurse (RN) staffing,
thousands of lives and millions of dollars could be
saved each year. Specifically, the study shows that
if hospitals increased RN staffing and hours or nursing
care per patient, more than 6,700 patient deaths and
four million days of care in hospitals could be avoided
each year.
“This study documents yet again that failing
to ensure that each RN is assigned an appropriate
number of patients directly impacts the quality of
care and the life expectancy patients,” said
Cheryl Johnson, president of the Michigan Nurses Association
(MNA).
Johnson went on to say that this new study was in
direct alignment with MNA’s own report, The
Business Case for Reducing Patient-to-Nurse Staff
Ratios and Eliminating Mandatory Overtime for Nurses,
which was released in June 2004. The research shows
that fewer patients per RN typically results in higher
quality of care as reflected by lower patient mortality,
fewer complications and fewer mistakes, shorter hospital
stays, and higher job satisfaction, as well as less
burnout and less staff turnover among registered nurses.
It is because of this research, as well as the experience
of Michigan’s 117,000 RNs, that MNA has been
urging the Michigan legislature to approve SB #169,
which is known as Safe Patient Care legislation. This
legislation requires hospitals to meet minimum registered
nurse-patient staffing ratios and places limits on
mandatory overtime for nurses.
“Health systems have reviewed study after study
documenting that nurse staffing directly impacts patient
safety, yet have failed to make the necessary changes
in their staffing practices,” said Johnson.
“This lack of response and apparent disregard
for their patient’s safety is why we are advocating
for the passage of SB #169.”
“How many studies need to be done before hospitals
respond and make the changes necessary to recruit
AND retain RNs to ensure patients are safe and well-care
for,” added Johnson. “The time for action
is now.”
###
The Michigan Nurses Association,
nurses’ voice for 100 years, is the largest
nurses’ union in the State of Michigan. The
Michigan Nurses Association (MNA) promotes the economic
and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, fosters
high standards of nursing practice, and lobbies the
legislature and regulatory agencies on health care
issues affecting nurses and recipients of nursing
services. MNA is a constituent member of the American
Nurses Association and the United American Nurses,
as well as an affiliate of the AFL-CIO.
All
content © 2006 Michigan Nurses Association. All
rights reserved. No portion may be reproduced without
permission. Links to other sites are provided as a
convenience to our members. MNA assumes no responsibility
for content on other sites.
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