In 2014, Registered Nurse Safe Staffing Act of 2014 was introduced in order to improve the Social Security Act, which would require an improved staffing of nurses in all hospitals of Medicare. This bill requires all full-time registered nurses to provide certain qualitative range of medical services according to the agreed planning. This would form a permanent quality health care in all health care facilities as well as medical facilities with special requirements. Registered Nurse Safe Staffing Act of 2015 sponsored by Jeff Merkley (Junior Senator from Oregon) was a logical continuation of the 2014 Act. The bill was introduced on April 29, 2015, though not enacted. The bill was promoted by The American Nurses Association …show more content…
On the federal level, the 42 Code of Federal Regulations (42CFR 482.2390(b). Overall it states, the hospital must have a passable number of licensed registered nurses, and other personnel to provide nursing care to all patients as needed. The language in the is very vague and lax in the federal law, and “passable” is relative. Due to congress inability to pass the The Registered Nurse Staffing Act, many states have taken the challenge into their own hands. On the state level, state staffing laws divided into one of three methods. The first method is to mandate hospitals to have a nurse focused staffing board which designs staffing policies that fits and serve the needs of the patient population in comparison to the abilities and experience of the nursing staff. The second method is for legislators to mandate definite nurse to patient ratios in legislation or regulation. For example, emergency department 1:3, operating room 1:1 and medical-surgical 1:4. The third and last method is hospitals are required to release staffing levels to the