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2059 - "The Patient Safety Act" is The Key to Protecting
Your Patients and Your Nursing Practice
We have a disturbing crisis in Massachusetts. Registered nurses
are being forced to care for too many patients at once, and
patients are suffering the consequineces in the form of preventable
errors, avoidable complications, increased lengths of stay
and readmissions. House Bill 2059, the Patient Safety Act,
calls upon DPH to set a safe limit on the number of patients
a nurse is assigned at one time. In addition, the bill calls
for staffing ratios to be adjusted based on patient needs.
It also bans mandatory overtime and includes initiatives to
increase nursing faculty and nurse recruitment. On May 24,
2006, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a
similar bill by a vote of 133-20. To date, 104 health care
and consumer advocacy groups have endorsed the bill and joined
the Coalition to Protect Massachusetts Patients.
This page contains a wealth of information to assist nurses and other supporters of safe patient care in advocating for the passage of the Patient Safety Act.
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