To: Senator Tim Kaine

From: Danielle Edwards

Date: October 29, 2017

Subject: H.R.2392 - Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act of 2017

Over the years the healthcare system has seen a decline in nurses being staffed in hospital settings
leading to a nursing shortage. However the amount of ill individuals has not changed in fact it is steadily
increasing. The current nurse to patient ratio in this nation is at unsafe levels leaving the opportunity for
poor patient care and outcomes (National Campaign, n.d.). As a nursing student soon to be Registered
Nurse, this is why I stand in support of H.R.2392 - Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety
and Quality Care Act of 2017 to allow Medicare to adjust payments to hospitals in order to allow for
adequate staffing and supplies.

As the nursing shortage continues to grow we continue to add to the nurse to patient ratio throughout
this nation. The ratio has reached levels that make it impossible to adequately provide safe quality care
to each patient that a nurse is assigned to (Kinsella, 2017). Thus resulting in poor outcomes for the
patients. By voting to pass this bill you will help to make safe nurse to patient ratios mandatory
resulting in less medication errors, less nurse burnout, better patient outcomes and better quality of
care. Nurses should have the right to advocate for themselves as well as their patients on the ratios if
they feel it would compromise their safety or the safety of their patients based off their clinical
judgment (National Campaign, n.d.).

 Many studies have shown that safe nurse to patient ratios result in better patient outcomes and
a less stressful work environment for nurses.
 There are currently only 14 states that have addressed nurse-staffing issues in hospitals by
adopting staffing laws. And California is currently the only state that has laws requiring a
minimum nurse to patient ratio that is to be enforced at all times (Nurse Staffing, 2015).
 Inadequate staffing has been associated with falls, readmissions, medication errors, pressure
ulcers and hospital-acquired infections National Campaign, n.d.).

Recommendation: Vote to pass H.R.2392 - Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and
Quality Care Act of 2017. Establishing safe nurse to patient ratios will help to eliminate burnout and
improve the quality of care for patients. Nurses are compassionate by nature and shouldn’t have to
choose quantity over quality.

Nurses are supposed to save lives. We limit their abilities when we force them to choose between
providing adequate care and reaching a quota.
References:

Kinsella, L. (2017, May 16). NursesTakeDC Rally Raises Awareness of Safe Staffing Ratios. Retrieved
October 10, 2017, from http://www.dailynurse.com/

National Campaign for Safe RN-to-Patient Staffing Ratios. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2017, from
http://www.nationalnursesunited.org/

Nurse Staffing. (2015, December). Retrieved October 10, 2017, from http://www.nursingworld.org/