RNs concerned that new acute psychiatric hospital ratios could weaken existing standards

Registered nurses from across California represented by California Nurses Association (CNA) will hold a march on Wednesday, Jan. 21, in Sacramento. Nurses intend to highlight their concerns that new staffing standards being considered for acute psychiatric hospitals will be used by the hospital industry to weaken the state’s historic and first-of-their kind RN-to-patient ratios legislation. 

"The new ratios for acute psychiatric hospitals can, should, and must extend the standards from existing ratios for general acute care hospitals,” said Sandy Reding, RN and CNA president. “We fully support RN ratios for acute psychiatric hospitals, and we want the nurses in those hospitals to have the same strong standards the rest of us do.”

Who:  Nurses from CNA, state’s largest nurses union
What: March for strong ratios
When: Wednesday, Jan. 21, 12 p.m.
Where: March kicks off from Cesar Chavez Plaza, 910 I St., Sacramento, Calif., headed to California Health & Human Services Agency, 1215 O. St., Sacramento, Calif.

Among nurses’ top concerns are the inclusion of licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) or psychiatric technicians in the staffing ratios, management-run staffing committees without RN inclusion, and workarounds to minimum RN staffing ratios including the creation of a new “RN on duty” who can be responsible for up to 24 patients at one time. Under existing regulations for general acute-care hospitals in California, only RNs count towards ratios, ensuring that patients are assigned to and cared for by registered nurses, the only category of workers licensed to make comprehensive nursing assessments.

CNA represents more than 100,000 nurses across California and is an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU), the country’s largest nurses union.

California Nurses Association/National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the nation with more than 100,000 members in more than 200 facilities throughout California and more than 225,000 RNs nationwide.