In June, US Rep. Jan Schakowsky D-IL introduced a bill to address  under-staffing of nurses in US hospitals.  The bill recognizes the link between short staffing, increased medical errors, and higher mortality in the US healthcare system.

“Nurses are overworked and hospitals are understaffed, leading to disastrous results for patients everywhere,” said Representative  Schakowsky.  “By creating a workplace in which nurses are asked to do the impossible, we drive nurses away and jeopardize the quality of patient care. The bill is a common-sense solution to improve the quality of patient care and address the nursing crisis in our hospitals.”

The Nurse Staffing Standards for Patient Safety and Quality Care Act of 2011 would require that hospitals work with their  nurses to develop safe staffing plans to achieve minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios.

This is tied closely to the recognition that high turnover, which can be caused by under-staffing and burnout, leads to medical error, higher mortality, and length of stay.  A 2003 Veterans Health Administration study was the first to document the link.

An important complement to minimum staffing standards is the importance of granting nurses autonomy in managing their work schedules and taking schedule preference into account.  This raises job satisfaction and improves morale, leading to better quality of care overall.