Health Care Policy Patient Safety - 1230 Words

Policy Priority Issue- Safe Staffing Candice Davis Chamberlain College of Nursing NR 506: Health Care Policy 05/21/2017 Patient Safety- Safe Staffing Patient safety is defined as the prevention of harm to patients, and is the number one priority in healthcare facilities. All healthcare facilities have policies in place to keep patients as safe as possible. These policies can include anything from preventing infection to education. Every facility will have different policies in place, thus all patient safety policies will emphasize a culture of safety in a suitable environment. One policy that is of concern is the minimum number of nurses staffed on a unit at any given time, or the nurse to patient ratio. Every state and every†¦show more content†¦The increased workload also gives nurses less time to care for each patient, increasing the risk for falls and infections. In California, after years of fighting, policymakers passed legislation, assembly bill 394, decreasing the nurse to patient ratio to 1:5; this is the only state to have such a law. When this policy went into effect in California stakeholders wanted insight on the impact it would have on healthcare. There have been numerous studies comparing California hospitals to other hospitals around the country, gauging the impact nurse to patient ratios have on patient safety; and the majority of the studies support the idea of a lower ratio with a select few stating there was no conclusive evidence. Goals/options The ultimate goal is to have a policy put in place that will lower the nurse to patient ratio. A policy change will not happen overnight, so even getting policymakers and politicians, as well as healthcare administration and nurse mangers, to look into this issue is a step in the right direction. In order to influence policymaker’s nurses can lobby in their respective states. There is also a nationwide coalition that is fighting for a policy similar to assembly bill 394; all nurses can join this coalition and support them. National Nurses United have put together a national campaign for safe RN-to-patient staffing ratios.Show MoreRelatedThe Impact Of The Affordable Care Act1091 Words   |  5 PagesSupporters of this policy include key federal and state stakeholders. The federal government through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) offers financial incentives for state policies that improve patient safety and reduce medical adverse events by implementing plans aimed at those issue s. Those states that show improvement and reductions will receive 5-year grants. Also, The ACA has established accountable care organizations (ACOs) to manage the improvement of patient quality health care by offering hospitalsRead MoreThe Nurse Leader s Responsibility Essay1608 Words   |  7 Pagesis conducive to safe, quality patient care. 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