More crazy ass DC legislation: nurse staffing levels in hospitals

Yes there should be laws and regulations on how hospitals are run. And legislation is required in order to accomplish this.

But regulations should be based on accreditation standards (see the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Hospitals, now just called the Joint Commission), and a Comprehensive City Plan for Public Health, Hospitals, and Wellness.  (We don't have one of those...)

They shouldn't be based on lobbying by nurses unions, who may also be making political donations to local political campaigns.

See "D.C. Council chairman to propose bill boosting nursing staffs at hospitals" from the Washington Post.

The first question to ask is if DC hospitals nurse staff levels are below national accreditation standards and recommended levels.

It's telling that the Post reporters on the story didn't think to contact the Joint Commission, the American Hospital Association, academics, and other non-local experts for more on this story.

-- Position Statement on Staffing, Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates
-- Hospital Nurse Staffing and Quality of Care, Agency for Healthcare Research and Policy, US HHS
-- Health Care at the Crossroads: Strategies for Addressing the Evolving Nursing Crisis, Joint Commission
-- Safe RN-to-Patient Staffing Levels, National Nurses United