Thursday, May 3, 2007
By ANN S. KIM
Staff Writer
AUGUSTA - Cecile Martin has seen how her fellow nurses work more than 14 hours at a time in order to finish their paperwork after a full shift. She says 12 hours without lunch breaks is not uncommon in her emergency room and that many times nurses do not even get a chance to use the restroom.
"We have to take care of these patients. It's an ER," said Martin, who works at Millinocket Regional Hospital.
Martin said nurses' workloads are growing heavier because patients in hospitals are sicker and because there are fewer nurses to care for them. She and other members of the Maine State Nurses Association are pushing for a law that would impose nurse-to-patient staffing ratios in hospitals. The bill includes whistle-blower protection and would punish violations with fines of up to $25,000.
The bill, similar to a California law, spells out ratios for different hospital units and situations. One nurse would be required for every two patients in intensive care units, burn units and post-anesthesia recovery units. One nurse would be required for every four patients in emergency departments and one would be needed for every five patients in a rehabilitation unit.
Bill proponents say the ratios would lead to better patient care, but critics say the approach is inflexible and could force hospitals to shut down beds.
The two sides will get a chance to make their cases before the Legislature's Labor Committee on Friday. The committee plans to hold a public hearing on the bill at 10 a.m. in Room 220 of the Cross State Office Building.
A similar proposal failed four years ago. The sponsor, House Majority Whip Sean Faircloth, D-Bangor, wants to revisit the issue.
"Nurses are the frontline workers in the effort to protect public health. And what I'm hearing from them is a real concern about safety in Maine," he said.
After the previous legislation failed, a study by the advisory council of the Maine Quality Forum, a division of the state's Dirigo Health reform effort, found that while adequate nursing resources are essential to medical care, no evidence shows that mandated staffing ratios guarantee quality or safety.
In the past 10 years, hospital patients have been in poorer health than they were in the past, said Vanessa Sylvester of the Maine State Nurses Association. Fewer nurses are willing to work under such stress, she said, and are leaving direct care for other areas of nursing, such as home health.
The Maine Hospital Association opposes the bill. Mary Mayhew, vice president of governmental affairs, said state regulations already address staffing in a more comprehensive way that avoids the bill's "cookie-cutter approach."
"The rigid approach it takes to providing patient care, it would force hospitals potentially to shut beds down, to have to transfer patients if they couldn't meet these artificial ratios," Mayhew said.
A better solution, she said, is to increase the number of nursing student slots at community colleges. Nursing is among the programs that have wait lists.
At least one Labor Committee member has decided to oppose the bill. Sen. Dana Dow, R-Waldoboro, fears the measure would drive up health care costs.
The Maine Medical Association also is fighting the bill. Gordon Smith, executive vice president, said while the organization is sympathetic to staffing concerns, mandated ratios are not the answer.
"It's overregulation. It's micromanagement at a time when the hospitals have enough to worry about," Smith said.
Staff Writer Ann S. Kim can be contacted at 623-1031 or at:
Reader comments
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Another dumb bill. For starters, hospitals can't even fill the open nurse positions they have. Doesn't Faircloth know about nursing shortages? HELLO! Now he wants to mandate ratios? Where are all of the nurses going to come from? This is not a solutin to our health care mess. It'll only make it worse.
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Now if we could only get the Hospitals and doctors to pay nurses a fair wage and provide reasonable working conditions.report abuse
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