SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The California Hospital Association (CHA) has filed an appeal seeking to overturn a recent ruling by the Sacramento County Superior Court that invalidated common-sense modifications to California’s nurse-to-patient ratio regulations.
The appeal was filed with the 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento. In addition to the appeal, CHA also has asked the Appellate Court to immediately stay the lower court’s ruling during the appeals process.
“Last November, Governor Schwarzenegger courageously put the interests of patients ahead of the self-serving goals of the nurses labor union,” said CHA President C. Duane Dauner. “Unfortunately, the recent court ruling invalidating these modest changes once again threatens access to quality patient care for all Californians.”
“CHA will vigorously pursue an appeal of the lower court’s ruling decision,” Dauner added.
The nurse ratio regulations, which took effect in January 2004, were intended to ensure quality patient care. However, given the dire shortage of nurses, hospitals have been forced to close beds, decline patient transfers, increase ED wait times and eliminate patient care services in order to comply with these regulations -- actions that are directly contrary to quality patient care. The Governor’s action to delay the Jan. 1, 2005 second phase of the ratios is needed to preserve patients’ access to hospital services.
There are currently 14,000 vacant nurse positions in California hospitals. Requiring hospitals to meet a 1:5 nurse-to-patient ratio in hospital medical-surgical units -- instead of the previous 1:6 -- will require an additional 4,000 nurses. In light of the existing nurse shortage, it is unlikely that hospitals will be able to find these additional nurses, according to Dauner.
California Hospital Association
CONTACT: Jan Emerson of California Hospital Association,+1-916-552-7516, or +1-916-804-0663, cell
Web site: http://www.calhealth.org/