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New survey raises questions about patient safety
6 January 2013
| THIEF RIVER FALLS - Nurses from Bagley, Bemidji, and Thief River Falls, Minnesota, gathered to call for minimum staffing standards in facilities in greater and metropolitan Minnesota. |
Members of the Minnesota Nurses Association rallied Friday at Centennial Park in Thief River Falls to state that they feel their professional judgment is being frozen out of the patient care process in hospitals across the state.
"We need a standard to hold these hospitals accountable," said Linda Hamilton, president of the Minnesota Nurses Association, "so patients and their loves ones can count on adequate RN staffing."
A survey conducted of 800 Minnesotans, including 400 nurses, revealed that nearly a third of respondents reported situations where they have witnessed too few nurses on duty affected the quality of care patients receive. Nurses agree. Nearly one-third of RNs polled said they worked at least one shift per week where staffing levels were insufficient.
"Patients are being put at risk because hospital management ignores valuable nursing judgment about staffing levels," Hamilton said.
The Minnesota Nurses Association is advancing legislation to establish minimum staffing standards in facilities throughout greater and metropolitan Minnesota. The bill to be introduced in the 2013 legislative session would set maximum patient assignment limits that are adjusted according to patient needs or "acuity." The bill would also set repercussions for hospitals that don't meet minimum staffing standards.
The survey by Anderson, Niebuhr & Associates shows nurses’ valuable judgment is being frozen out of safety decisions, and patients are at risk in hospitals throughout the state. The study also found that when nurses reported an unsafe staffing situation, 27 percent were told to "make do" and 17 percent got no response.
Survey data can be found at the MNA website. |
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