WHEREAS:

Feeble attempts to address the critical nurse staffing issue have resulted in the nation’s largest health care workforce witnessing the implementation of failed policy that has not only been costly but has put patients’ lives at risk. Implementing safe staffing in all hospital settings is part of making health security a fundamental human right, a guarantee and entitlement to humane health care for all people, providing health care services equally to all individuals according to uniform standards of care; and

WHEREAS:

Medical errors in hospitals and clinics result in approximately hundreds of thousands of patients dying each year and cost taxpayers and consumers approximately $20 billion a year; and

WHEREAS:

Studies and research have demonstrated the association between nurse staffing - particularly registered nurse (RN) staffing - ratios and patient safety, documenting an increased risk of patient safety events, morbidity, and even mortality as the number of patients per nurse increases. A study in 2014 found that increasing a nurse’s workload by just one patient increases the risk of patient mortality by 7%; and

WHEREAS:

A survey from the American Association of International Healthcare Recruitment found that nearly 80% of registered nurses said the pandemic strained staffing in their unit to unsafe levels. Thirty-nine percent of all survey respondents reported a patient workload increase of three or more. During the most recent surge of COVID-19, roughly 1 in 4 nurses reported they could not provide adequate care to their patients; and

WHEREAS:

Mandating minimum RN-to-patient ratios saves lives and improves patient-care outcomes. In 1999, California became the first state in the nation to establish minimum RN-to-patient ratios for hospitals. A 2010 study found that non-ratio states would have experienced 13.9% fewer patient deaths and that when compared to other states, the regulatory ratio led to the “prevention of literally thousands of deaths;” and

WHEREAS:

In an industry that puts profits over patients, even in a pandemic, the consequences of burnout ripple across the industry and directly impact patient care, efficiency and operational finances. A 2008 study found that after the implementation of California’s ratio law nurses reported significant improvements in working conditions and job satisfaction, resulting in significantly lower turnover rates due to burnout, an issue currently crippling our national nursing workforce.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

AFSCME calls on state legislatures to implement mandatory RN-to-patient ratios similar to California standards, without diminishing staffing levels for all other staff; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

AFSCME will work with its affiliates and members as they fight to ensure full and safe staffing levels at all levels of our health care system; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:

AFSCME urges Congress to pass the Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act of 2021 (S. 1567).

SUBMITTED BY:
Denise Duncan, RN, President and Delegate
Charmaine Morales, RN, Vice President and Delegate
UNAC/UHCP, NUHHCE/AFSCME Local 1199
California