The proposed legislation would also direct the state Department of Public Health to inspect hospitals for compliance with safe staffing during normal periodic hospital inspections. Under the safe staffing law, all California hospitals are required to maintain minimum, specific nurse-to-patient ratios at all times. The law was enacted to improve patient safety.
The proposed legislation follows a study conducted last year by University of Pennsylvania researchers. After comparing California to comparable hospitals in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, results showed that New Jersey hospitals would have 14 percent fewer deaths, and Pennsylvania 11 percent fewer if they matched California’s ratios in surgical units. California registered nurses also were found to spend more time with patients and miss fewer changes in patient conditions because of their workload.
Read the news release about SB 554.
Read other coverage about patient safety:
– CMS Proposes Rule on Payment Adjustment for Provider-Preventable Conditions
– 5 Best Practices for Preparing for Your First Accreditation Survey
– Healthcare Providers Needs More Than One Safety Net for Medication Safety
