Mandatory Minimum Staffing

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Mandatory Minimum Staffing

Introduction

Staffing is an essential component in organizations operating in various sectors of the

economy, including the healthcare industry. Moreover, staffing laws and regulations, including

the mandatory minimum requirements, may differ across industries or regions. Staffing refers to

the act of ensuring that an organization has an adequate supply of employees with the right skills

at all times (Department for Professional Employees, 2013). The concept plays a critical role in

the performance of healthcare organizations as it helps in the recruitment and management of

healthcare professionals such as nurses to promote their efficiency and overall output. This study

focuses on the mandatory minimum requirements in nursing in Connecticut and the measures

taken by the federal and local government to address staffing issues in the region. The study also

analyzes the contributions of key players in a state bill proposal and the steps taken to implement

the bill once it becomes law.

Rationale

Nursing is a sensitive and demanding as it involves saving lives and maintaining the

overall well-being of individuals. The primary objective of nurses is to promote patient safety by

protecting them from harm during the care administration process. Additionally, nurses have the

responsibility of helping patients recover from their illnesses and enhancing independence during

the recovery process. Moreover, nursing also entails promoting awareness about critical health

issues and strengthening healthy living and behavior change in communities through measures

such as health education and surveillance. Therefore, nurses must be flexible to accommodate

the demands of their patients and the public. However, there is a limit to what an individual

nurse can do, especially if she/he works long hours without rest. As a result, nurses should work

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in shifts to avoid burnout and fatigue. High levels of burnout among nurses can give rise to cases

of medical errors that result in incidences of hospital-acquired infections among patients

(Hall, Johnson, Watt, Tsipa, & O’Connor, 2016). Moreover, fatigue may interfere with the

ability of nurses to think critically and make effective decisions that can lead to positive health

outcomes. For instance, nurses who have worked for extended periods without enough rest may

fail to notice critical patient information such as current medication and allergies. Such a mistake

can lead to administration of the wrong drug that may cause allergic reactions in patients; hence

lowering the quality of care services.

Effective staffing policies can help in enhancing public health outcomes within a region.

By having regulations such as the mandatory minimum requirements in place, healthcare

organizations will be able to offer quality services and promote patient safety (Department for

Professional Employees, 2013). Additionally, with adequate nurses, healthcare organizations can

design a work routine that gives room for rest; hence reducing the rates of nurse burnout and

fatigue. This will also help in reducing medical errors and the occurrence of nosocomial

infections.

The mandatory minimum requirements entail having the right number of staff at all times

within a healthcare facility. When a hospital is adequately staffed, all the patients will receive

efficient care services including monitoring, diagnosis, and administration of treatments

(Department for Professional Employees, 2013). Moreover, the regulation also requires hospitals

to have qualified nurses who have the necessary skills to take care of patients with various health

conditions. Healthcare organizations can ensure that they are staffed with qualified personnel by

setting qualification criteria and hiring individuals who have undergone adequate training and

passed all the nursing examinations. Having qualified nurses also promotes patient safety, which

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is the basis of nursing, as it reduces the risks of medical errors such as wrong diagnosis or poor

selection of treatment options.

Strategic Steps to Address the Issue

Like other regions in the United States, Connecticut is also fighting the issue of nurse

shortage which has affected various hospitals and healthcare facilities, including nursing homes.

As a result of population growth, the demand for nurses has increased over the year.

Unfortunately, in as much as many nurses graduate every year, the number still does not meet the

demand for nurses in hospitals in the region (Schott, 2018). The issue of nurse shortages is not

new to many states. For instance, in 2015, Connecticut State passed a bill that requires all

hospitals licensed by the Department of Public Health (DPH) to submit annual reports of their

staffing plans as a measure of ensuring that the region’s hospitals provide adequate and quality

healthcare services to the residents (Health Law Pulse, 2015).

The components of the nursing plan report include; the number of registered nurses and

other personnel providing direct care to patients, methods of determining and adjusting direct

patient care staffing levels, minimum professional skills mix for each care unit, and policies

concerning temporary and traveling nurses (Health Law Pulse, 2015). Some hospitals in the

region have also resorted to expanding their recruitment and development programs and offering

competitive salaries to attract individuals to the field (Schott, 2018). However, these measures

have not given a complete solution to the problem. Below is a discussion of how local and

federal strategies that can help end the problem of nurse shortage in Connecticut.

Local /State Government Strategies

Apart from the population growth, other factors that contribute to nursing shortages

include enrollment of few people in the nursing profession, unattractive wages, and poor

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working conditions (Twigg & McCullough, 2013). Therefore, one of the methods that the state

and local governments can use to solve the issue of nurse shortages in the local hospitals is to

subsidize nursing courses to encourage more students to join the nursing field. Through this

strategy, the local government will create career opportunities for Connecticut students who are

interested in studying nursing but cannot afford the tuition, fees such as those from low-income

households.

Additionally, the local government can also design a training program for the existing

care providers to enhance their skills and improve their performance. After implementing these

strategies, the local government can then set a minimum staffing requirement for all healthcare

facilities within its boundaries by defining a standard patient-nurse ratio. Additionally, to ensure

that the minimum staffing levels are maintained in all healthcare facilities, the local government

can revise the current minimum wage and terms of employment and incorporate some of the

grievances that are raised by the nurses’ association. This approach will help in reducing the rate

of nurses’ turnover in state and local hospitals (Flinkman, Isopahkala-Bouret, &

Salanterä, 2013).

Federal Government Strategies

The proposed strategies for the local/state governments require the support of the federal

government for successful implementation. For instance, to provide subsidies and improve the

wages of nurses, the local government will need additional funds. Since the local government has

many projects to finance using limited funds, the administrators can ask for an increase in the

proportion of funds allocated to the education sector by the national government. The increase in

the funds allocated to the state will also enable the local government to organize training

programs for nurses and other healthcare professionals with the aim of improving public health

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outcomes. Also, since the issue of nurse shortage affects several states across the country, the

federal government can propose a bill that introduces health-related courses in middle schools to

create interest among in the nursing profession among students at an early age. The strategy will

increase the number of nurses in the country. Moreover, since nurses can work in different states

as long as they have passed the required examination, the increase in the number of students

enrolled in nursing colleges will help reduce nurse shortages in the US.

Key Players

The key players in the implementation of the minimum staffing requirements bill include;

government officials, educational institutions, nursing associations, and nurse leaders. The

government officials such as the representative of the Congress and the Department of Health

have the responsibility of introducing the proposed changes to the Congress and pushing for their

approval. Educational institutions play a significant role as they are charged with training nurse

students to equip them with the knowledge and skills necessary for handling patients with

different conditions. Finally, nursing associations and nurse leaders can negotiate with the

government for better terms of employment and offer training and development services for

nurses.

Steps to Introduce the Bill

The bill on minimum staffing requirements for hospitals in Connecticut will go through

the normal legislative process before it becomes law. The first step will be to put the proposals in

writing and presenting it to the house when in session through the state's congress representative,

who will also try to gather support from members of the house (American Government, 2018).

After that, the bill will then be analyzed by the committee and voted by the members of the

Congress. If it gunners enough votes, it will be sent to the Senate and finally to the president for

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signing (American Government, 2018). Once signed, the new regulation will govern the

healthcare facilities at both local and national levels.

Steps to Implement the Bill

The passage of the bill into law will give the federal government the mandate to increase

the proportion of funds allocated to the education sector for the various states, including

Connecticut. Once the local government has the additional finances, it can then implement the

proposals such as subsidizing fees for students who are taking nursing courses at various levels

of education and financing training programs for nurses. After a few years, the number of

qualified nurses will grow, and this will enable the state government to implement minimum

staffing requirements for healthcare organizations successfully and maintain a constant nurse-

patient ratio; hence improve the quality of care services in the region.

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References

American Government. (2018). How a Bill Becomes a Law [ushistory.org]. Retrieved from

http://www.ushistory.org/gov/6e.asp

Department for Professional Employees. (2013). Safe Staffing Ratios: Benefiting Nurses and

Patients. Retrieved from http://dpeaflcio.org/wp-content/uploads/Safe-Staffing-Ratios-

2013.pdf

Flinkman, M., Isopahkala-Bouret, U., & Salanterä, S. (2013). Young Registered Nurses'

Intention to Leave the Profession and Professional Turnover in Early Career: A

Qualitative Case Study. Retrieved from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3762080/

Hall, L. H., Johnson, J., Watt, I., Tsipa, A., & O’Connor, D. B. (2016, July 8). Healthcare Staff

Wellbeing, Burnout, and Patient Safety: A Systematic Review. Retrieved from

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0159015

Health Law Pulse. (2015). Connecticut Enacts New Legislation Concerning Telehealth, Nurse

Staffing Level Reports, and Other Health Care-Related Issues. Retrieved from

http://www.rc.com/publications/upload/Leagl-Update_Health-Law-Pulse_6-25-15.pdf

Schott, P. (2018, March 9). Connecticut hospitals aim to tackle nursing shortages. Retrieved

from https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/business/article/Connecticut-hospitals-aim-to-

tackle-nursing-12739362.php

Twigg, D., & McCullough, K. (2013). Nurse retention: A review of strategies to create and

enhance positive practice environments in clinical settings. Retrieved from

https://www.journalofnursingstudies.com/article/S0020-7489(13)00158-2/pdf

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