A bill to help improve nursing care in New York took a leap forward.

Last Tuesday, the New York State Assembly took a vote on the Safe Staffing for Quality Care Act, a bill set up to help nurses take care of patients. It passed 108-32. This is the furthest the bill has gotten in the New York State Legislature.

The bill contains major changes for nursing. The biggest piece is nurse ratios, which sets mandatory standards for a number of nurses taking care of a patient. For example, there would be a ratio of one nurse for every one patient in the Operating Room and in the Emergency Room.

This will require a hospital to form staffing plans to call for a minimum amount of nurses needed in a unit. So, if there were four patients in the O.R., there would be a requirement of four nurses scheduled while the patients were in the hospital. If there is a case where there is an insufficient number of nurses, a nurse has a right to not accept more patients than the ratio calls for. If a hospital violates this, they can be hit with fines.

Proponents and opponents of the bill make compelling arguments. Proponents, mostly nurses, argue that this bill improves the quality of nursing. According to them, the bill will allow for better care for patients. Having four nurses for four patients would provide better attention and care than two nurses for four patients. Also, this will allow hospitals to keep more nurses on staff. By easing the burden on nurses, they will be less likely to be overworked and, therefore, less likely to leave. Finally, the bill, though it would cost more for hospitals in the short term, would be better off in the long term. Because there would be more care, there is less of a chance of infection and decubiti (such as bedsores). This will save the hospital from excessive lawsuits and fines.

Opponents, like hospitals, argue that this places undue financial burdens on struggling hospitals. The more money they need to spend on nurses, the less money can be spent elsewhere. Opponents also argue that this will cause more holds in the ER and less qualified and trained nurses being pushed onto patients.

Unfortunately for the bill’s supporters, the bill failed to reach the floor in the Senate before the end of the legislature session. This means until it can be brought up again next year, it is dead. Despite it not becoming law, this can be considered a victory for the bill supporters. When the Legislature session starts next year, they may have the momentum to bring this back up again. We’ll have to wait until next year to see, though.