Governmental objective, political influences and impact of policy change

Governmental Objectives

• Promote general welfare of patients in nursing homes, both public and private

• Address safety issues such as preventing medical errors and reducing falls
  

• Impose a penalty for noncompliance by certain deadlines
  

Political Influences

Staffing regulations vary from state to state. For example, California requires each facility to have 3.2 nursing hours per patient day, whereas Maryland requires a minimal total of 2 hours of direct patient care per day.
There is a federal staffing requirement of one Registered Nurse for eight hours, seven days a week (Harrington, 2008). This bill would ultimately address the fact that these staffing ratios are not sufficient and each patient would receive a total of 4.1 hours by July 1, 2014.

How will this affect the client?

With a smaller nurse to client ratio, nurses will have more time to promote patient well being and patient outcomes.

With less patient ratios, the patient will be safer against medical errors and injuries.


What is the potential impact on Nurses?

Prevent burnout and staff turnover

Less medical errors

Prevent law suits and safety in their liscensure


What is the potential impact on health care?

Patients receiving higher level of of care

Regulations to standardize nurse staffing and contact hours with clients



The Need for Change

The need to address the nursing shortage is echoed across the political spectrum.

According to Jeff Tieman of Modern Healthcare (2002):

• "Three federal agencies-HHS, the Education Department and the Labor Department-announced earlier this month that they will collaborate to address the 'severe shortage of nurses in the Unitied States'"

According to Julie Piotrowski:

• "'The shortage of long-term-care workers, if left unaddressed, will affect all Americans in very personal ways,' Labor Secretary Elaine Choa says."
• "Skilled nursing providers...are well-aware that delivering better-quality care means depending upon a bigger quantity of workers."
• "To ensure quality care, consume advocates contend that nursing homes must be more fully staffed."
  

Harrington, C. (2008). Nursing home staffing standards in State statues and regulations. University of California.

Piotrowski, J. (2003). Who will care for the elderly? Modern Healthcare, 33(24).

Tieman, J. (2002). Nursing the nurse shortage. Modern Healthcare, 32(20).