What would MNA's Safe Patient Care Act do?

Safe staffing in every Michigan hospital
​(RN-to-patient ratios)

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Placing safe limits on forced overtime for hospital nurses

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Hospital transparency (making RN-to-patient ratios public)

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Safe staffing (ratios) in the Safe Patient Care Act

 Under this legislation:​

• Minimum safe RN staffing, based on national evidence-based standards, by unit
• Hospital must post information about the law and inform patients about how to report violations.​
• ​Additional time for rural hospitals to comply.
• Fines for non-compliance, to create true accountability
• The ratios in the legislation are as follows (registered nurse: maximum patients):
  • Emergency department 1:3 plus one RN for triage
  • Medical-surgical 1:4
  • Pediatrics 1:3
  • Behavioral health 1:4
  • Acute rehabilitation 1:4
  • Intensive care (all units) 1:1
  • Post-anesthesia 1:1
  • Stepdown 1:3
  • Telemetry 1:3
  • Operating room 1:1 plus one scrub assistant
  • Labor and delivery
    • 1:3 Antepartum
    • 1:1 Active labor; during birth (1 RN for birthing patient, 1 RN for baby); Immediate postpartum couplet; unstable newborn; medical/obstetric complications (epidural, c-section); patient receiving conscious sedation
    • 1:2 Antepartum if continuous fetal monitoring is required; intermediate care newborn; postpartum/ postsurgical patient-baby couplet
    • 1:4 Postpartum birthing patient or well-baby care

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Limiting forced RN overtime in the
​Safe Patient Care Act

Under this legislation:

• Nurses can’t be ordered to work longer than scheduled.
• RNs can still volunteer for overtime, if any is needed, if they know they can provide safe care.
• RNs must have 8 continuous hours off after a shift of 12 hours or more, to rest.
• Nurses are protected from discipline, firing or losing their license if they refuse unplanned extended shifts.
• The limits will be suspended during emergency situations or when a nurse is in the middle of a critical patient procedure.

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Hospital transparency in the
​Safe Patient Care Act

Under this legislation hospitals must disclose to the public their actual RN-to-patient ratios, which are closely tied to patient outcomes, so consumers can make informed choices and everyone has real data to evaluate. There is currently no law requiring this transparency.

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Contact us
If you have any questions or want to get involved, ​please contact Dawn Kettinger at the Michigan Nurses Association.