Yesterday, the Oregon House passed House Bill 2697, addressing the hospital staffing shortage crisis by empowering nurses and other frontline health care workers to have a voice in staffing decisions.
The bill will specify nurse staffing ratios for specified hospital units and help providers deliver high-quality care for their patients. Oregon is the first state to have ratios in statute for nurses and staffing committees for health care workers.
Nearly 70 percent of Oregon’s nurses say they are experiencing severe burnout, with more than three-quarters reporting that their work lives are dangerously stressful due to unsafe levels of staffing and poor working conditions. This has led many to leave the profession.
House Bill 2697 addresses these concerns with common-sense provisions that will require a minimum number of hospital staff in specific units in order to have safe numbers of hospital staff to patients to provide the best care possible.
“Oregon’s health care workers deserve protection and support for their crucial, life-saving services,” said Representative Travis Nelson (D-N & NE Portland), a registered nurse. “By implementing staffing committees and nurse-to-patient ratios, health care workers will be able to do their jobs more effectively and care for their patients.”
The bill provides protections for rest and meal breaks and a filing process through the Bureau of Labor and Industry. It will end hospital staff burnout and ensure patient care and safety are at the forefront of hospital systems.
The legislation also modifies hospital nurse staffing plan requirements and requires the Oregon Health Authority to issue civil penalties for hospital staffing plan violations beginning June 1, 2025.
“Nurses know what is best for the patients they serve,” said Representative Rob Nosse (D-Inner SE & Inner NE Portland), who chairs the House Committee On Behavioral Health and Health Care committee. “By having a say, and having staffing clarity with nurse to patient ratios, patients will be protected and we’ll attract more nurses to the profession.”
House Bill 2697 passed 48-9 and now heads to the Senate, where it will only be considered if Senate Republicans show up and get back to work.
