The Massachusetts Senate has passed a landmark measure that will limit the number of patients assigned to registered nurses working in all the state hospital intensive care units.
The law will ensure that no nurse can be assigned more than one patient or in certain circumstances, no more than two patients based on the assessment of the nurses on that unit.
The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed the bill earlier this month. The Massachusetts Nurses Association/National Nurses United expressed support for this legislation as it believes limiting nurse workloads helps patient safety. The Massachusetts Hospital Association, however, said the bill would unnecessarily drive up costs.
"This is a landmark victory for patient safety. I applaud the House of Representatives and the State Senate for their leadership and work on behalf of Massachusetts patients," said Donna Kelly-Williams, RN, president of the MNA/NNU.
If the bill is signed into law by the governor before July 2, the MNA/NNU has agreed to pull its ballot initiatives — the Patient Safety Act and the Hospital Profit Transparency and Fairness Act, one of which would call for a nurse workload cap in all hospital units, not just the ICU.
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