Illinois is one of several states that have implemented a nurse staffing by patient acuity law, which requires hospitals to maintain a certain level of staffing based on the needs of their patients. This law is intended to ensure that patients receive the highest quality care possible, as adequate staffing is essential to providing timely and effective treatment.
One of the key provisions of the Illinois nurse staffing by patient acuity law is the requirement that hospitals maintain a minimum number of nursing staff based on the acuity level of their patients. Acuity refers to the severity of a patient's condition, and hospitals are required to use a standardized assessment tool to determine the acuity level of each patient. This assessment takes into account factors such as the patient's diagnosis, the complexity of their treatment, and their overall physical and mental status.
Based on the acuity level of their patients, hospitals are required to maintain a certain number of nursing staff per patient. For example, a hospital with a high acuity patient population may be required to have more nurses on staff than a hospital with a lower acuity patient population. This helps to ensure that patients receive the level of care they need, as more nurses are available to provide timely and effective treatment.
The Illinois nurse staffing by patient acuity law also requires hospitals to maintain a minimum number of nursing staff on each unit or ward. This is designed to ensure that there are enough nurses available to provide care to patients in all areas of the hospital. This is especially important in areas such as the intensive care unit, where patients may require more intensive and frequent monitoring and treatment.
In addition to these staffing requirements, the Illinois nurse staffing by patient acuity law also includes provisions for ongoing training and education for nursing staff. This is designed to ensure that nurses are up-to-date on the latest best practices and techniques in patient care, and are able to provide the highest quality care possible.
Overall, the Illinois nurse staffing by patient acuity law is an important measure that helps to ensure that patients receive the highest quality care possible. By requiring hospitals to maintain a certain level of staffing based on the needs of their patients, the law helps to ensure that patients receive timely and effective treatment, and that nurses are able to provide the best possible care. So, this law is very important for both the patients and the nurses.
Ill. Admin. Code tit. 77, § 250.1130
February 26, 2019 STATE ADVOCACY ALERT OPPOSE MANDATORY NURSE STAFFING RATIOS LEGISLATION Several bills have been introduced in the Illinois General Assembly requiring mandatory nurse staffing ratios in hospitals — House Bills The Illinois Nurses Association and National Nurses United are pushing the bills and plan to hold separate rallies at the State Capitol this week and next. A hospital shall appoint members of a committee of which at least 50% of the members are registered professional nurses providing direct patient care. These laws include: Hospital Report Card Act, Adverse Healthcare Event Reporting, Nurse Staffing by Patient Acuity, Prohibition of Mandated Overtime, Safe Patient Handling Act and Illinois Center for Nursing. By limiting the number of patients a nurse can oversee, there is less Nurses will have more opportunities to focus on the complex needs of a typical patient load. This incentivizes hospitals to meet quality markers to receive reimbursements.
The Benefits Of Nurse
B Shift-to-shift adjustments in staffing levels required by the staffing plan may be made by the appropriate hospital personnel overseeing inpatient care operations. Currently, hospitals in Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont must provide disclosure about their staffing ratios. With mandated staffing ratios, nurses will have more one-on-one time with their patients. Also, engage your direct care nursing staff and urge them to contact their local state legislators to oppose these harmful bills. A written copy of this report shall be made available to direct inpatient care nurses by making available a paper copy of the report, distributing it electronically, or posting it on the hospital's website. It can be an effective way for hospital leaders to connect with nursing staff to brainstorm what's working and what's not. Our plan, called Staffing for Safe Patient Care, will focus on obtaining the right nurse at the right time to care for the patient so we can achieve the highest level of safety, quality, service and health outcomes.
Illinois Compiled Statutes 210 ILCS 85/10.10
If a registered nurse in an inpatient care unit objects to a shift-to-shift adjustment, the registered nurse may submit a written report to the nursing care committee. In particular, a committee or committees shall provide input and feedback on the following: A Selection, implementation, and evaluation of minimum staffing levels for inpatient care units. This adds funds to hospital budgets and may lower healthcare costs. The National Database for Nursing Quality Indicators may be accessed at www. The nursing care committee's review shall consider: A Patient outcomes; B Complaints regarding staffing, including complaints about a delay in direct care nursing or an absence of direct care nursing; C The number of hours of nursing care provided through an inpatient hospital unit compared with the number of inpatients served by the hospital unit during a 24-hour period; D The aggregate hours of overtime worked by the nursing staff; E The extent to which actual nurse staffing for each hospital inpatient unit differs from the staffing specified by the staffing plan; and F Any other matter or change to the staffing plan determined by the committee to ensure that the hospital is staffed to meet the health care needs of patients.
The Nurse Staffing Improvement Act of 2021
This shared governance model follows the law and strengthens partnerships between direct patient care nurses and nursing leadership. Nurses can assess status changes and attend to patients' needs better. August 14, 2020 Copy link Dear Nursing Colleagues: This week, UI Health presented its proposed staffing plan to the Illinois Nurses Association INA during collective bargaining agreement negotiations. Most healthcare facilities use staffing guidelines to decide a nurse's assignment on a given shift. As managers and charge nurses make patient assignments, they're placed in a difficult position: How can one divide up so many patients among so few nurses? With current staffing shortages, nurses are assigned higher volumes of patients per assignment. A legislative committee hearing on some of the bills may be held as soon as Wednesday, March 6.
Management Alert
This leads to better health outcomes, more consistent and manageable nursing workloads, higher staff satisfaction and better patient experiences. Quality care requires nurse-driven, flexible staffing plans. The law, HB 4666, takes effect July 1. Individual states are prioritizing patient safety through different nurse staffing ratio rules. She began nursing in adult surgical trauma, then spent a decade in neonatal and pediatric cardiac intensive care units. A hospital shall appoint members of a committee of which at least 55% of the members are registered professional nurses providing direct inpatient care, one of whom shall be selected annually by the direct inpatient care nurses to serve as co-chair of the committee.
