National research demonstrates that an increase in the number of nurses is associated with fewer deaths, shorter hospital stays, and lower rates of complications such as pneumonia, shock, and cardiac arrest. Despite this fact, there is no consensus among health-care experts that mandating the number of registered nurses is the best course of action. The Massachusetts legislature is only the second in the nation to seriously consider mandatory minimum nurse staffing ratios. California enacted such requirements in January 2004, but it is still too early to evaluate whether this law has resulted in improved patient safety.
The Forum, in collaboration with the New England Public Policy Center, recently gathered national health policy experts, health-care leaders and legislators to inform the Commonwealth's debate about this complex issue. Phil Johnston, chair of the Massachusetts Health Policy Forum, urged leaders to find common ground: "Massachusetts hospitals lead the world in research and sheer talent, but the health care community must work together now to create an effective plan to ensure patients are safe and we are preventing medical errors."
Michael Doonan, a social policy researcher at Brandeis University's Heller School and Executive Director of MHPF, will share the latest findings on nurse staffing research before the Committee on Public Health on Wednesday, July 13, Massachusetts State House, Room A1. The hearing begins at 10 a.m.
The findings include:
Rep. Christine Canavan (D-Brockton) sponsored the legislation to require minimum nurse-to-patient ratios in hospitals. These requirements are stronger than those enacted in California and would be the most stringent in the nation. Cost estimates on implementing Rep. Canavan's proposal range from $250 million to $450 million. Alternative legislation sponsored by Senator Richard Moore (D-Uxbridge), Chairman of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, seeks to increase the supply of nurses and to better track and share information on patient outcomes and nurse workloads.
For more information on nurse staffing legislation and alternative solutions please see the attached executive summary.
For a copy of the full report, please visit www.sihp.brandeis.edu/mhpf .
The Massachusetts Health Policy Forum is a collaboration of the Schneider Institute for Health Policy at The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, and Health Care for All. Its mission is to convene the public and private sector in examining the most critical health care issues facing the Commonwealth, and present a fair and balanced evaluation of the costs and outcomes for health-care consumers.
The New England Public Policy Center, part of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, is dedicated to improving the quality of analysis on the economic and public policy issues that affect the New England region.
Click here for the report.