State House Passes Nurse-staffing Bill. Supporters Cheer as Legislation Moves to Senate

[Ian David]

State House Passes Nurse-staffing Bill
Supporters Cheer as Legislation Moves to Senate

The state House of Representatives voted 119-35 on May 22 to approve a bill to guarantee safe registered nurse staffing in all Massachusetts hospitals, dubbed the Patient Safety Act.

The measure calls upon the Mass. Department of Public Health to set safe limits on nurses’ patient assignments, prohibits mandatory overtime, and includes initiatives to increase nursing faculty and nurse recruitment. If enacted into law, Massachusetts would be the only the second state in the nation to set safe staffing limits in hospitals.

While some prominent nursing organizations, such as the Mass. Nursing Assoc. (MNA) support the bill, others, including the Mass. Hospital Assoc. (MHA), oppose it.

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The proposed legislation will now move to the Senate for consideration. In May 2006, the Mass. House of Representatives passed a similar bill, the Patient Safety Act, but it was not taken up by the Senate. The current bill is co-sponsored by state Rep. Christine Canavan (D-Brockton) and state Sen. Marc Pacheco (D-Taunton).

“The time has come to pass this law and to protect the patients of the Common-wealth,” said Canavan. “I am so pleased that my colleagues have recognized the merits of this bill. Let’s make this the year we finally reach the governor’s desk.”

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