Washington nurses push for staffing standards at hospitals

OLYMPIA, Wash. — A coalition of health care groups called WA Safe + Healthy is hoping that 2023 turns out differently than 2022.

Last year, legislation to create standards for nurse staffing at hospitals failed, but that’s not stopping the Washington State Nurses Association and others from trying again during the current legislative session.

That session in Olympia just kicked off on Jan. 9. It came during a week that saw nurses in New York City hit the picket line over staffing concerns, saying they have been overworked since the pandemic began.

That sentiment echoed with many nurses in Washington state, and lawmakers will once again be part of the debate between health care workers and hospitals. The Washington State Nurses Association says it wants a law that could set ratios for the number of patients under a nurse’s care. The group is part of efforts to reintroduce legislation to do that.

David Keepnews is with the WSNA and says staffing is critical for nurses and patients.

“Staffing and the conditions other health care workers face are immediately and directly linked to the kind of care and quality of care patients receive,” said Keepnews.

He emphasized that safe staffing has been a consistent issue during the pandemic and still is an issue in many cases.

“We need nurses that are not burnt out and we need enough nurses, and the issues of staffing have been with us for many years,” he said.

The nurse’s association says if staffing legislation is passed, hospitals will have time to put the standards in place, but passage of such legislation isn’t a certainty. Last year, the Washington State Hospital Association opposed the staffing ratio legislation. At that time, the WSHA issued a statement saying:

“If hospitals are unable to meet the ratios, they would be forced to close units to additional patients, and in some cases, may have to discontinue services entirely. Washingtonians can expect delays in scheduled surgeries; hours-long wait times in the emergency department; and major challenges for smaller community residents to transfer to a larger hospital.”

A staffing law for nurses is not very common. In the U.S., only California has implemented ratio laws.

Just days ago, WSHA officials said they remain opposed to ratios because patients may not be able to access care.

The Hospital Association is proposing an alternative package of legislation that will address the workforce shortage in Washington state.

In a recent statement, the WSHA said when lawmakers return to Olympia for the 2023 legislative session, hospitals will ask that lawmakers support a multifaceted approach to address healthcare workforce shortages.

The Hospital Association said shortages are leading to delays in care and hampering patient access. The WSHA cited statistics from the Washington Center for Nursing which said only 1.1% of licensed registered nurses in Washington are unemployed and seeking employment as a nurse, and only 2.3% have jobs outside nursing.

Some members of WA Safe + Healthy dispute the statistics.

WSHA said there are not enough licensed nurses in Washington to fill the thousands of RN vacancies in Washington hospitals. An October, 2021 WSHA survey showed that hospitals alone need to hire an additional 6,100 nurses to meet current staffing needs.

Long-term care, physician offices, and many other health care providers also need staff support.

“The pandemic has accelerated the need to make investments in the health care workforce to ensure people in communities across the state have access to health care services when they are needed,” said WSHA President and CEO Cassie Sauer. “Hospitals are making major investments and changes to retain and recruit staff, including significant pay increases and working collaboratively with teams to establish new care models. We’re asking lawmakers to partner with hospitals to ensure Washington remains a top choice for nurses.”

“Our population is aging and needing more hospital services. Hospitals are looking to the future and recognizing there will not be enough nurses to care for everyone,” said WSHA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, Chelene Whiteaker. “We need to redesign how staffing works in hospitals and need the legislature to support this longer-term journey.”

The WSNA held a news conference on Jan. 5 outlining its goals for the legislation regarding staffing. It can be watched at this link.

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