Patient Safety Act is Approved by Public Health...( Measure Calls for Safe Limits on Nu...),Health

Measure Calls for Safe Limits on Nurses' Patient Assignments, Prohibits Mandatory Overtime and Includes Initiatives to Increase Nursing Faculty &

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BOSTON, Feb. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- The 125-member Coalition to Protect Massachusetts Patients applauds the vote today by the joint Committee on Public Health Committee to approve a bill to guarantee safe RN staffing in all Massachusetts hospitals. The measure, The Patient Safety Act, calls upon the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to set safe limits on nurses' patient assignments, and also prohibits mandatory overtime and includes initiatives to increase nursing faculty and nurse recruitment.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070530/NEW064LOGO )

The bill responds to increased concern over quality care in Massachusetts hospitals as well as evidence linking disease and deaths to poor patient oversight caused by nurses being forced to care for too many patients at one time. In recent years medical errors and hospital acquired infections have soared, with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) now reporting that 2,000 people, or six people per day, are dying in Massachusetts because of them every year. A number of studies link the rise in hospital-acquired infections and other medical complications to understaffing of nurses. A report published in the July issue of the journal Medical Care found that safe RN staffing levels could reduce hospital acquired infections by 68 percent.

In May 2006, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed similar legislation by a margin of 133 to 20 but the bill was not taken up by the Senate. The Patient Safety Act: House Bill 2059 is co-sponsored by State Senator Marc Pacheco (D-Taunton) and State Representative Christine Canavan (D-Brockton). "At last, we have movement on H. 2059!" said Rep. Canavan. "I am
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