DATE
NAME
ADDRESS
CITY, STATE ZIP
Dear
:
As a nurse executive working in New Jersey hospitals, I urge you to oppose S-1183,
legislation that would mandate nurse staffing ratios in hospitals and ambulatory
care facilities.
While the intention of the bill is to improve patient care, there are many complex factors
that go into determining nurse staffing levels. Studies have shown that mandated
staffing ratios offer no guarantee of improved quality patient care outcomes and will
significantly increase costs to healthcare facilities.
Healthcare staffing is not, and should not be, a one-size-fits-all policy. Nursing demands
vary for each hospital, unit, and shift, depending upon many factors including patient
volumes, the types of patients, and the severity of conditions.
Administrators and CNO's need flexibility in meeting these demands and determining
the best needs of their patients, especially as new methods of healthcare delivery are
being developed every day. Mandating ratios locks organizations into costly models
that may not match the needs of the newer care delivery models.
Nurses are on the front lines of health care and need flexibility to adapt to the fluid and
unpredictable nature of hospital admissions. Please oppose S-1183, which would
impose rigid staffing requirements and increase overall healthcare costs for New Jersey
patients.
Sincerely,