Special to The Truth
State Rep. Elgin Rogers (D-Toledo) last week introduced bipartisan legislation with Rep. Haraz Ghanbari (R-Perrysburg) to address critical staffing issues in our nursing workforce. This pro-patient, pro-worker legislation will ensure that patients in Ohio receive the highest quality care and nurses are given reasonable workplace protections.
“By ensuring reasonable workloads and building our nursing workforce, we will give families the peace of mind that their loved ones are being well cared for and treated with dignity and respect,” said Rep. Rogers.
This bill will create better conditions for both patients and nurses in Ohio’s hospitals by doing the following:
* Invest $20 million in a Loan-to-Grant program to incentivize nurses to enter the field, complete their education and stay working in Ohio.
* It would establish legally enforceable minimum staffing standards in every Ohio hospital.
* Create reasonable exceptions to staffing minimums to ensure the standards are workable for hospitals and facilities that can account for extenuating circumstances.
* Add meaningful direct care nurse representation on the existing staffing committees in Ohio hospitals, and finally:
* Create a robust reporting system for complaints regarding inadequate staffing.