Senator Boxer Introduces Legislation To Address Nationwide Nursing Shortage

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 17 May 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) introduced the National Nursing Reform and Patient Advocacy Act, legislation to protect the rights of nurses to advocate on behalf of their patients, set minimum nurse-to-patient ratios in hospitals, and invest in training nurses to address the current nationwide nursing shortage.

"We cannot guarantee high-quality health care to every American without a high-quality workforce of nurses to provide it," Senator Boxer said. "That is why I am proud to introduce legislation to help address our nationwide shortage of nurses. By investing in our nurses, we can help improve the quality of care in our nation's hospitals and save the lives of countless patients."

The legislation builds on the success of California's historic law that set registered nurse-to-patient ratios. The bill would extend the minimum standards in place in California hospitals to all general and long term care hospitals. Specifically, the bill would:

- Establish specific nurse-to-patient ratios that will not only save lives and improve the quality of care, but also encourage more nurses to enter and stay in the workforce, which could help ease the nursing shortage.

- Provide whistleblower protections to protect the right of nurses to advocate for the safety of patients and report violations of minimum standards of care.

- Create a standard for helping nurses to lift patients to prevent on-the-job injuries and promote better quality patient care.

The bill also creates a Registered Nurse Workforce Initiative within the Health Resources and Services Administration that invests in the education of nurses and nursing faculty. The initiative provides grants for:

- Nursing educational assistance and living stipends for nursing students who agree to work for at least 3 years for a safety-net health care provider.

- Graduate educational assistance for registered nurses who commit to serve as nurse educators for at least 5 years at an accredited nursing program.

- Training and mentorship demonstration projects.

Source
The office of Senator Boxer