Nurse Union Loses Patience Over Staffing Bill
The Massachusetts Hospital Association and the Massachusetts Nurses Association appear to be no closer to agreement on how nursing staff levels should be regulated.
After the state Senate's ways and means committee gave initial approval to a version of house bill 4783 that leaves authority over nurse staffing levels with hospital executives, the MHA called the bill "a credible compromise," while the nurses union said it represented a "dangerous and deadly status quo."
The union has been pushing for strict nurse to patient ratios that hospitals say would be too costly and cumbersome. The union says mandated ratios would keep patients safer. The senate removed the mandated ratios from the version of the bill passed by the house in May.
The union said removal of the ratios rule would "codify current unsafe conditions in hospitals and continue to place thousands of patients in jeopardy."
The MHA said it would "continue to oppose mandated, one-size-fits-all registered nurse staffing ratios" as the bill makes its way to Gov. Deval Patrick's desk.
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