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Patient safety bill dies in Massachusetts Senate

Staff Development Weekly: Insight on Evidence-Based Practice in Education, August 11, 2006

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A bill that would have established patient-to-nurse ratios in Massachusetts was left untouched, as the state legislative session ended on July 31. The bill, which was approved by a 133-20 majority in the house, was kept off the floor by Senate leadership, preventing a vote.

If the bill had been approved, it would have made Massachusetts only the second state (California was the first) to put a ratio into place.

There were two definitive sides to the issue. Some nurses opposed it because they felt autonomy would be taken away, and smaller hospitals were worried that being forced to hire more nurses to meet the need would hurt financially. On the other side, however, was the Massachusetts Nursing Association, which argued that the bill would help patient safety. A source with the association said the bill would be re-filed in January.

Sources: Massachusetts Nurses Association press release, Portsmouth Herald, Woburn Advocate

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