13 Safe Staffing Ratios
1. RN's duty and right to act
as a patient advocate
2. Unit-specific, RN-to-patient ratios
for acute-care hospitals
• RN-patient ratios for all shifts at all times.
• Restrictions on use of unlicensed
assistive personnel.
• Patient classification system to determine
additional staff based on an acuity tool
• Monetary fines for violations.
3. Whistle-blower protections with
substantive monetary fines
4. Direct-care RNs classified
as professional employees,
not supervisors
Protection from the National Labor
Relations Board Kentucky River ruling
that attempts to classify RNs as supervisors
and makes them ineligible for collective
bargaining rights.
5. Safe hospital care
workplace standards
Worker injury prevention: A zero-lift policy
to replace current practices of unassisted
manual lifting. Repositioning and transferring
of patients with the use of patient transfer
devices, lifting devices, and lift teams.
6. Strengthening emergency
preparedness capacity
Mandatory paid leave with employment,
rights, and benefits protection for participa-
tion in disaster relief.
Key Components of NNU's
Safe Staffing Initiatives
