95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
HB0392

 

Introduced 1/26/2007, by Rep. Mary E. Flowers

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Nurse Staffing Standards for Patient Safety and Quality Care Act. Provides that every hospital must implement a staffing plan that: (1) provides adequate, appropriate, and quality delivery of health care services and protects patient safety; and (2) is consistent with the requirements of the Act concerning minimum direct care registered nurse-to-patient ratios. Sets forth minimum direct care registered nurse-to-patient ratios, according to the type of hospital unit. Provides that the Department of Public Health may apply those minimum direct care registered nurse-to-patient ratios to another type of hospital unit if that other unit performs a function similar to the function performed by the unit referred to in the minimum ratio standards. Provides that the minimum direct care registered nurse-to-patient ratios do not apply during a declared state of emergency if a hospital is requested or expected to provide an exceptional level of emergency or other medical services. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1     AN ACT concerning health.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Nurse
5 Staffing Standards for Patient Safety and Quality Care Act.
 
6     Section 5. Definition. In this Act, "hospital" means a
7 hospital licensed under the Hospital Licensing Act.
 
8     Section 10. Staffing plan required. Every hospital shall
9 implement a staffing plan that:
10         (1) provides adequate, appropriate, and quality
11     delivery of health care services and protects patient
12     safety; and
13         (2) is consistent with the requirements of this Act.
 
14     Section 15. Minimum direct care registered
15 nurse-to-patient ratios. A hospital's staffing plan shall
16 provide that, during each shift within a unit of the hospital,
17 a direct care registered nurse may be assigned to not more than
18 the following number of patients in that unit:
19         (1) One patient in operating rooms and trauma emergency
20     units.
21         (2) Two patients in critical care units, including

 

 

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1     emergency critical care and intensive care units, labor and
2     delivery units, and postanesthesia units.
3         (3) Three patients in antepartum units, emergency room
4     units, medical/surgical units, and acute care psychiatric
5     units.
6         (4) Four patients in intermediate care nursery units,
7     medical/surgical units, pediatrics units, stepdown units,
8     and telemetry units.
9         (5) Five patients in rehabilitation units.
10         (6) Six patients in postpartum (3 couplets) units and
11     well-baby nursery units.
 
12     Section 20. Other hospital units. The Department of Public
13 Health may apply minimum direct care registered
14 nurse-to-patient ratios established in Section 15 to a type of
15 hospital unit not referred to in Section 15 if the other unit
16 performs a function similar to the function performed by the
17 unit referred to in Section 15.
 
18     Section 25. State of emergency. The requirements
19 established under Sections 15 and 20 do not apply during a
20 declared state of emergency if a hospital is requested or
21 expected to provide an exceptional level of emergency or other
22 medical services.
 
23     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
24 becoming law.