Hundreds of nurses and other health-care professionals called on lawmakers today to require hospitals and other providers to curtail mandatory overtime and set safe-staffing levels.
The workers delivered petitions to the Rhode Island General Assembly urging passage of legislation that would ban the use of mandatory overtime and set nurse-to-patient requirements. The group was organized by the Rhode Island Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals and AFT Healthcare, which is staging a nationwide campaign called “Set Limits – Save Lives.”
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AFT Healthcare, the health-care arm of the American Teachers Union, recently released a national, independently conducted survey of nurses that found patient loads in emergency departments, intensive care units and medical/surgical units far exceed “safe and manageable” thresholds. Two high-profile studies over the last two years also have linked low nurse-staffing levels to bad patient outcomes.
The hospital industry, both nationally and in Rhode Island, has dismissed mandatory nurse-patient ratios as a one-size-fits-all solution that is unworkable. Administrators also have maintained that mandatory overtime is used only as a last resort.
