California Senator Barbara Boxer has introduced the National Nursing Reform and Patient Advocacy Act. The legislation aims to attract and maintain a sufficient nursing workforce in order to provide quality healthcare for the coming years. The bill would establish specific nurse-to-patient ratios, which would increase patient safety and reduce job burn out. As well, it would provide whistle blower protections to protect the right of nurses to advocate for the safety of patients and report violations of minimum standards of care. Read more about the bill.
Have you ever had an adverse experience that occured as a result of the nursing shortage? Share your comments here.
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Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.