Safe staffing ratios between nurses and patients makes sense for minnesotaJun. 5, 2014

As attorneys that regularly defend nurses who are faced with investigations by the Minnesota Board of Nursing, there is one common factor we see in nearly all cases that involve mistakes in patient care or less than perfect charting and documentation by nurses: understaffing and high patient ratios. This is why the medical license defense attorneys at Lord & Associates support safe staffing ratio legislation. Various recent studies done by health research institutes and labor rights organizations indicate that setting mandatory maximum staffing ratios at medical facilities between nurses and patients (known as safe staffing ratios) reduces staff burnout and mistake rates.

SAFE STAFFING RATIONS REDUCE NURSE BURNOUT AND MISTAKE RATES

In addition, reduced burnout among nurses helps to reduce mistakes in missing changes in patient conditions or reduce the spread of common infections found in hospitals such as MRSA. According the University of Pennsylvania study mentioned above, the average burnout rate among nurses in non-safe staffing ratio states is around 30% compared to 10% in California. The study asserts that the reduction in burnout rates among nurses in California correlated with a great reduction in the rate of spreading common hospital infections. The authors estimate that if other states adopted safe staffing ratios hospitals could prevent 4,160 cases a year of the two most common hospital-acquired infections and save over $41 million. The Minnesota Legislature has taken the first step in working towards the adoption of safe staffing ratios in Minnesota. However, the official study mandated by the legislature last year is not due for report until January of 2015. In the mean-time, the attorneys at Lord & Associates will be advocating for the adoption of safe staffing ratios in our state to ensure that nurses are given the tools to perform at their best and patients will receive the best quality of care available to them.

ARE YOU FACED WITH AN INVESTIGATION BY THE MINNESOTA BOARD OF NURSING OR OTHER MEDICAL OR PROFESSIONAL BOARD?

If you are faced with an investigation by the Minnesota Board of Nursing do not go it alone. The Minnesota professional licensing defense attorneys at Lord & Associates will walk you through the process every step of the way and help you get the best possible outcome. If you believe that the allegations are directly associated with understaffing issues at your hospital please call the attorneys at Lord & Associates and allow us to defend and protect your livelihood.