Issues and Action

An Act Ensuring Patient Safety – H.4714
Judith Deutsch, LWVM Health Care Specialist

The League of Women Voters urges you to support “An Act Relative to Patient Safety,” H.4714 (Safe Staffing Bill).

 Lead Sponsor:  Rep. Christine Canavan

 Purpose of the Bill:

l  Ensure high-quality health care in Massachusetts hospitals by preventing dangerous situations for patients due to inadequate staffing levels.

The bill directs the Department of Public Health (DPH) to develop nurse-to-patient assignment standards, directs DPH to establish and implement a standardized patient acuity system, regulates the assignment of nurses to patients, prohibits assigning non-licensed personnel to perform licensed nurse functions, and articulates penalties for noncompliance.

l  Bans mandatory overtime or on-call policies except in cases of declared emergencies.

l  Mandates that hospitals create a standardized, acuity-based patient classification system to predict staffing requirements.

l  Requires hospitals to submit annually their staffing plans, acuity-assessment tools, and an audit of the previous year’s staffing plan.

l  Promote interest in nursing as a career.

The bill establishes and regulates a Nursing Advisory Board in the Department of Health and Human Services to increase nursing faculty and nurse-recruitment initiatives and provides for refresher programs.

Current Status:  This bill was passed favorably out of both the Joint Committee on Public Health and the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. 

Talking Points:

l  California is having success in recruiting sufficient nurses after implementing its safe-staffing law three years ago.

l  Inadequate staffing levels, forced overtime, and inappropriate use of unlicensed personnel create dangerous situations for patients.