A recent study noted that our nation has experienced a nursing shortage dating back to the early 1900s but concluded that “the magnitude of the current nursing shortage, announced in 2021, is greater than ever before in this country.”
This shortage is experienced locally as Olympic Medical Center struggles to find enough nurses.
The PDN reported OMC had to pay traveling nurses $200 per hour to get them to work here.
Our legislators’ solution to guarantee good nursing care is HB 1868, mandating nurse/patient ratios.
They probably have good intentions but will they allow hospitals to turn away patients if they don’t have enough nurses to meet the ratio?
Will they cover their liability?
As a former hospital nurse, I know the number of nurses per patient is based on the complexities of patient needs, not some abstract formula.
If legislators want to improve working conditions for nurses the answer is that we need more nurses.
Increasing funding for nursing schools is a more logical solution than mandating a ratio that may be impossible to meet.
The University of Washington nursing school acceptance rate is a mere 10 percent.
Nationwide, in 2020, over 80,000 qualified nursing school applicants were turned away from baccalaureate and graduate programs.
Amongst the reasons for this was budget constraints.
Tell our legislators no on mandating nurse/patient ratios and yes to funding more nursing school slots.
Norma Turner
Port Angeles