SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 69

(By Senators Stollings, Plymale, Unger, Wells, Jenkins, D. Hall and Laird)

Requesting the Joint Committee on Health to conduct a study of staffing levels of nurses in health care facilities.

    Whereas, Inadequate staffing of nurses can cause a dangerous environment to both patients and workers, leading to increased litigation, increased risk of musculo-skeletal disorders and other health risks, issues with retention and overtime, inability to provide adequate care to patients and employee frustration and burnout; and

    Whereas, Facilities can adequately staff nurses in such a manner that more staff is available and present to provide skilled care through “stacking shifts”, or overlapping shifts, to keep employee numbers at a minimum but increase manpower at the beginning and ending of each shift; and

    Whereas, Utilizing existing staff in a more efficient manner can be cost effective and beneficial to patient care improvement, staff retention and morale and provide greater continuity of care; and

    Whereas, There is a correlation between inadequate nursing staff and poor patient outcomes. High nurse-to-patient ratios are associated with an increase in medical errors, patient infections, bedsores, pneumonia, MRSA, cardiac arrest and accidental death; and

    Whereas, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services found that facilities with staffing levels in the bottom thirty percent were more likely to be among the worst ten percent of facilities for heart failure, electrolyte imbalances, sepsis, respiratory infection and urinary tract infections; and

    Whereas, Researchers at the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Nursing concluded that lowering the patient-to-nurse ratios “markedly” improves patient outcomes; therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

    That the Joint Committee on Health is hereby requested to conduct a study of staffing levels of nurses in health care facilities; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Health is to consider the impact of high turnover rates and high levels of temporary nursing staff on the overall operating cost of a facility as well as look at the effect that nurse staffing issues have on patient outcomes; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Health is to look for solutions that rely on shift scheduling to maximize existing staff without creating undue financial hardships on facilities who may need to hire additional nursing staff; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Health report to the regular session of the Legislature, 2015, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.