Washington lawmakers have passed staffing legislation aimed at reducing nursing shortages, The Spokesman-Review reported April 6.
A bill that would require hospitals to follow staffing standards passed the state House of Representatives 92-6. It had already passed the state Senate and now heads to Gov. Jay Inslee for potential approval.
The bill reflects a compromise between unions and the Washington State Hospital Association, according to a news release from unions shared with Becker's. Unions have pushed for specific, required patient-to-staff ratios at hospitals in state law, saying ratios could ease nurses' workloads. Hospitals expressed concerns that such ratios would lead to service cuts and closures if floors cannot be adequately staffed.
The legislation does not establish specific, required ratios in state law. However, hospital staffing committees would make ratio recommendations to their leadership, and executives would make adjustments and submit the plan to state officials, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal.
If hospitals fall below 80 percent compliance with their staffing plans, they are required to report noncompliance to the state, unions said in their release. State deoartments would then assign noncompliant hospitals a corrective action plan. Under the bill, hospitals that do not follow corrective action plans could face a fine of $50,000 per month.
"While this bill isn't everything we called for, this is a real and meaningful step towards better safety for Washington healthcare workers and patients," Faye Guenther, president of UFCW 3000, said in the unions' release. "For years we've fought for strong, enforceable staffing standards, while hospital executives have sought to preserve the status quo. This is progress."
In February, Chelene Whiteaker, senior vice president of government affairs at the state hospital association, said, "We all want to support hospital staff and also ensure access to healthcare for our communities. We are pleased to be able to reach an agreement that recognizes the importance of the voice of staff at the local level, who are best positioned to develop staffing plans that appropriately match the needs of patients with the experience of staff."
The bill, which also expands meal and rest break laws, would take effect in 2025.