SENATE MEMORIAL 134

52nd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2015

INTRODUCED BY

Linda M. Lopez

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO CONVENE A TASK FORCE TO STUDY AND REPORT ITS FINDINGS ON NURSE-TO-PATIENT RATIOS AT HOSPITALS IN NEW MEXICO AND ON THE EFFECTS OF A PATIENT SAFE STAFFING LAW FOR HOSPITALS IN NEW MEXICO.

     WHEREAS, there are nurse-to-patient standards, proposed by national nursing organizations for specific patient groups, that many hospitals throughout the United States have adopted; and

     WHEREAS, nurses are required to advocate for patient needs, including ensuring the safety of patients, in a way unique to the nursing profession; and

     WHEREAS, appropriate nurse-to-patient ratios reflect the minimum number of nurses that are needed to provide adequate care for a maximum number of patients; and

     WHEREAS, appropriate nurse-to-patient ratios help provide an optimum standard of care for patients and protect the safety of patients and hospital personnel; and

     WHEREAS, it is proven that when appropriate nurse-to- patient ratios are enforced, patients spend fewer days in the hospital and patient outcomes are greatly improved; and

     WHEREAS, there are currently no minimum standards for nurse-to-patient ratios in New Mexico statutes; and

     WHEREAS, there is limited oversight and evaluation by the department of health to determine whether hospitals have implemented appropriate nurse-to-patient ratios and whether hospitals are complying with the nurse-to-patient ratios that each hospital has adopted; and

     WHEREAS, annual review of nurse-to-patient ratio standards by the department of health is necessary to ensure that the state does not fall behind national standards and that patients in New Mexico receive the same quality of care as patients in other states; and

     WHEREAS, input from stakeholder groups in New Mexico is essential to ensure that standards reflect special circumstances or conditions pertaining to the delivery of care in hospital settings in the state; and

     WHEREAS, stakeholder input should be actively sought by the department of health in reviewing the standards; and

     WHEREAS, for two years, the department of health has declined to act upon the request of a committee of the legislature to study the issue of patient safe staffing at hospitals in New Mexico;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico legislative council be requested to convene a task force to be known as the "patient safe staffing study group" to study nurse-to-patient ratios and support-staff-to-patient ratios at hospitals in New Mexico and the effect that passage of a patient safe staffing law, such as Senate Bill 284 of the fifty-second legislature, first session, might have currently and in the future on delivery of safe and appropriate patient care at hospitals in New Mexico; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the patient safe staffing study group be composed of representatives of the following organizations: the New Mexico hospital association, district 1199 of the national union of hospital and health care employees, the New Mexico chapter of the American nurses association, the committee of interns and residents/service employees international union healthcare and the secretary of health; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the patient safe staffing study group be requested to contact the following organizations to provide input in the development of the task force's study and the development of a report:

          A. American association of critical-care nurses;

          B. association of perioperative registered nurses;

          C. oncology nursing society;

          D. New Mexico emergency nurses association;

          E. association of women's health, obstetric and neonatal nurses;

          F. American psychiatric nurses association;

          G. American association of neuroscience nurses;

          H. society of gastroenterology nurses and associates;

          I. perianesthesia nurses association of New Mexico;

          J. rural institutional health care providers;

          K. hospitals in New Mexico; and

          L. other similar organizations; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the patient safe staffing study group be requested to report on the results of its studies to the interim legislative health and human services committee and any other appropriate interim legislative committee no later than November 2015; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of the patient safe staffing study group report be made public; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the co-chairs of the New Mexico legislative council; the New Mexico hospital association; district 1199 of the national union of hospital and health care employees; the New Mexico chapter of the American nurses association; the committee of interns and residents/service employees international union healthcare; and the secretary of health.

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