On Nov. 6, Massachusetts voters will decide whether nurse staffing ratios will be required at hospitals.
Here are five things to know about the measure and how it could affect nurse assignments.
1. Question 1, proposed by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, calls for mandated nurse staffing ratios that would vary by unit, floor or department.
2. Supporters of the measure argue nurse staffing ratios will improve patient care, and opponents say the ratios will worsen nurse care delivery, lead to longer emergency room wait times and hurt community hospitals and mental health facilities.
3. If the measure passes, hospitals would need to use a patient acuity tool that helps determine nurse-to-patient ratios, according to a WBUR report. One such tool is Quadramed, currently used at Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital. The tool measures patients' need for nurses.
4. Brenda Pignone, BSN, RN, a staff nurse in a Massachusetts General Hospital med-surg unit, told WBUR Quadramed allows her to classify patients based on how often a nurse takes their vital signs and whether they have catheters, among other factors. This classification indicates how acute the patient's needs are and how much nursing attention they need.
5. In addition to a patient acuity tool, some Massachusetts hospitals may decide to change around nursing shift assignments if Question 1 passes. The measure applies around the clock. Therefore, if a hospital unit is compliant with the proposed nurse staffing ratios during the day but not as night, they could potentially decide to move day nurses and some patient care to night to prevent a need to hire more nurses, according to WBUR, which spoke about the issue with Theresa Capodilupo, RN, BSN, the nursing director on Ms. Pignone's unit.
Access the full WBUR report here.
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