Bill > H1995

This bill mandates that hospitals, excluding specific types like rehabilitation or psychiatric facilities, must annually report their "staffing plan" to the Department of Public Health. A staffing plan is defined as a written report detailing the patient care professionals directly involved in patient care on various units, ensuring that staff with over 50% of their shift dedicated to direct patient care are counted and replaced if absent, while excluding certain roles like monitor technicians. The report must also include information on additional support staff available, the complexity of patient care, patient acuity, specialized equipment, the skill mix of the care team, and the experience and quality improvement involvement of staff. The Department will then make these reports publicly available online. Additionally, the bill requires the Department to collect and report on three to five patient safety quality indicators, such as pressure ulcers and patient falls, using nationally recognized measures, and to publish hospital-specific data and industry trends annually. Finally, a Special Commission on Nursing Education and Experience will be established to recommend pathways and support systems to increase the number of registered nurses with baccalaureate degrees, setting targets for 2020, 2025, and 2030.