Contact your legislator about safe-staffing ratios: To make sure that quality nursing care becomes the standard throughout the state, the hospital industry and lawmakers need to hear directly from nurses about why improvements are needed. To find your legislators and their contact information, click here.

See the poll: In conjunction with Safe Nurse Staffing Lobby Day on March 13, AFSCME released the results of a statewide poll of Illinois nurses ( click for summary of poll findings).  According to the survey, 90% of Illinois nurses believe that increasing nurse staffing is the most important step hospitals can take to improve patient care.  When asked what they thought was the biggest problem in nursing care in hospitals, 77% of nurses cited inadequate staffing and a high nurse-to-patient ratios.

Get involved: To get involved in the campaign for safe staffing, please call (773) 792-2430.

Read the article: 

Nurses Spur Action in House and Senate for Staffing Ratios

Despite fierce opposition from the Illinois Hospital Association, AFSCME's campaign for safe staffing in Illinois hospitals took a big step forward when state lawmakers recently voted to pass nurse staffing legislation out of committees in the Senate and House.  Last week, SB 936 passed out the of the Senate Human Services Committee by an overwhelming majority in the wake of compelling testimony from Diana Connal, an RN who works at Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center, a Resurrection Health Care hospital.  The House Committee on Health Care Accessibility had previously voted to send out a companion bill (HB 392) after a contentious debate.  Both measures would establish minimum standards to assure sufficient nurse staffing on the frontlines of Illinois hospitals.

Lawmakers were moved by nurses who participated in the Safe Nurse Staffing Lobby Day on March 13, when dozens of Resurrection RN's joined nurses from around Illinois to lobby for nurse staffing ratios legislation.  Resurrection nurses have been in the forefront of the fight to pass the legislation, which would establish minimum patient-to-nurse ratios and require hospitals to develop written staffing plans based on patient acuity. 

In conjunction with the Lobby Day, AFSCME released the results of a statewide poll of Illinois nurses. According to the survey, 90% of Illinois nurses believe that increasing nurse staffing is the most important step hospitals can take to improve patient care.  When asked what they thought was the biggest problem in nursing care in hospitals, 77% of nurses cited inadequate staffing and a high nurse-to-patient ratios.

Not surprisingly, the Illinois Hospital Association (IHA) has chosen to fight this legislation by waging a campaign of misinformation.  Their message: Everything is just fine in Illinois hospitals.

Because of the intense opposition from the IHA, as well as the Illinois Nurses Association, the legislative committees directed all concerned parties to meet and attempt to negotiate a compromise before the legislation moves forward.

By standing up on behalf of patients and the nursing profession, RN's from around the state have sent a clear message to the legislature and hospital administrators.  To make sure that quality nursing care becomes the standard throughout the state, the hospital industry and lawmakers need to hear directly from nurses about why improvements are needed. To find your legislators and their contact information, click here.

HEART/AFSCME