Bill Text: MN SF471 | 2013-2014 | 88th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Staffing Plan Disclosure Act; nurse staffing levels and patient outcomes study and report requirement
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-04-30 - HF substituted in committee HF588 [SF471 Detail]
Download: Minnesota-2013-SF471-Engrossed.html
1.2relating to health; requiring a hospital staffing report; requiring a study on nurse
1.3staffing levels and patient outcomes.
1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.5 Section 1. STAFFING PLAN DISCLOSURE ACT.
1.6 Subdivision 1. Definitions. (a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms
1.7have the meanings given.
1.8(b) "Core staffing plan" means the projected number of full-time equivalent
1.9nonmanagerial care staff that will be assigned in a 24-hour period to an inpatient care unit.
1.10(c) "Nonmanagerial care staff" means registered nurses, licensed practical nurses,
1.11and other health care workers, which may include but is not limited to nursing assistants,
1.12nursing aides, patient care technicians, and patient care assistants, who perform
1.13nonmanagerial direct patient care functions for more than 50 percent of their scheduled
1.14hours on a given patient care unit.
1.15(d) "Inpatient care unit" means a designated inpatient area for assigning patients and
1.16staff for which a distinct staffing plan exists and that operates 24 hours per day, seven days
1.17per week in a hospital setting. Inpatient care unit does not include any hospital-based
1.18clinic, long-term care facility, or outpatient hospital department.
1.19(e) "Staffing hours per patient day" means the number of full-time equivalent
1.20nonmanagerial care staff who will ordinarily be assigned to provide direct patient care
1.21divided by the expected average number of patients upon which such assignments are based.
1.22(f) "Patient acuity tool" means a system for measuring an individual patient's need
1.23for nursing care. This includes utilizing a professional registered nursing assessment of
1.24patient condition to assess staffing need.
2.1 Subd. 2. Hospital staffing report. (a) The chief nursing executive or nursing
2.2designee of every reporting hospital in Minnesota under Minnesota Statutes, section
2.3144.50, will develop a core staffing plan for each patient care unit.
2.4(b) Core staffing plans shall specify the full-time equivalent for each patient care
2.5unit for each 24-hour period.
2.6(c) The Minnesota Hospital Association shall include on the Minnesota Hospital
2.7Quality Report Web site a link to the report found under Minnesota Statutes, section
2.862U.02, the Minnesota Quality Reporting and Measurement System. The Department of
2.9Health and the Minnesota Hospital Association shall update this link quarterly.
2.10(d) Prior to submitting the core staffing plan, as required in subdivision 3,
2.11hospitals shall consult with representatives of the hospital medical staff, managerial and
2.12nonmanagerial care staff, and other relevant hospital personnel about the core staffing plan
2.13and the expected average number of patients upon which the staffing plan is based.
2.14 Subd. 3. Standard electronic reporting developed. Each reporting hospital shall
2.15report their core staffing plans to the Minnesota Hospital Association by January 1, 2014.
2.16The Minnesota Hospital Association shall include each reporting hospital's core staffing
2.17plan on the Minnesota Hospital Association's Minnesota Hospital Quality Report Web
2.18site by April 1, 2014. Any substantial changes to the core staffing plan shall be updated
2.19quarterly, beginning July 1, 2014, and every quarter thereafter. The Minnesota Hospital
2.20Association shall include on its Web site for each reporting hospital on a quarterly basis
2.21the actual direct patient care hours per patient and per unit.
2.22 Sec. 2. STUDY AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
2.23(a) The commissioner shall study the correlation between nurse staffing levels and
2.24patient outcomes and report the results of the study to the chairs and ranking minority
2.25members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over health and human services
2.26by January 15, 2015.
2.27(b) The commissioner shall make recommendations regarding the collection of
2.28standardized data concerning the linkage between nurse staffing levels and the quality of
2.29acute care, including patient outcomes. If the commissioner determines that more specific
2.30data is needed, the commissioner may require hospitals to report the core staffing plans
2.31on a per-shift basis.
1.3staffing levels and patient outcomes.
1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.5 Section 1. STAFFING PLAN DISCLOSURE ACT.
1.6 Subdivision 1. Definitions. (a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms
1.7have the meanings given.
1.8(b) "Core staffing plan" means the projected number of full-time equivalent
1.9nonmanagerial care staff that will be assigned in a 24-hour period to an inpatient care unit.
1.10(c) "Nonmanagerial care staff" means registered nurses, licensed practical nurses,
1.11and other health care workers, which may include but is not limited to nursing assistants,
1.12nursing aides, patient care technicians, and patient care assistants, who perform
1.13nonmanagerial direct patient care functions for more than 50 percent of their scheduled
1.14hours on a given patient care unit.
1.15(d) "Inpatient care unit" means a designated inpatient area for assigning patients and
1.16staff for which a distinct staffing plan exists and that operates 24 hours per day, seven days
1.17per week in a hospital setting. Inpatient care unit does not include any hospital-based
1.18clinic, long-term care facility, or outpatient hospital department.
1.19(e) "Staffing hours per patient day" means the number of full-time equivalent
1.20nonmanagerial care staff who will ordinarily be assigned to provide direct patient care
1.21divided by the expected average number of patients upon which such assignments are based.
1.22(f) "Patient acuity tool" means a system for measuring an individual patient's need
1.23for nursing care. This includes utilizing a professional registered nursing assessment of
1.24patient condition to assess staffing need.
2.1 Subd. 2. Hospital staffing report. (a) The chief nursing executive or nursing
2.2designee of every reporting hospital in Minnesota under Minnesota Statutes, section
2.3144.50, will develop a core staffing plan for each patient care unit.
2.4(b) Core staffing plans shall specify the full-time equivalent for each patient care
2.5unit for each 24-hour period.
2.6(c) The Minnesota Hospital Association shall include on the Minnesota Hospital
2.7Quality Report Web site a link to the report found under Minnesota Statutes, section
2.862U.02, the Minnesota Quality Reporting and Measurement System. The Department of
2.9Health and the Minnesota Hospital Association shall update this link quarterly.
2.10(d) Prior to submitting the core staffing plan, as required in subdivision 3,
2.11hospitals shall consult with representatives of the hospital medical staff, managerial and
2.12nonmanagerial care staff, and other relevant hospital personnel about the core staffing plan
2.13and the expected average number of patients upon which the staffing plan is based.
2.14 Subd. 3. Standard electronic reporting developed. Each reporting hospital shall
2.15report their core staffing plans to the Minnesota Hospital Association by January 1, 2014.
2.16The Minnesota Hospital Association shall include each reporting hospital's core staffing
2.17plan on the Minnesota Hospital Association's Minnesota Hospital Quality Report Web
2.18site by April 1, 2014. Any substantial changes to the core staffing plan shall be updated
2.19quarterly, beginning July 1, 2014, and every quarter thereafter. The Minnesota Hospital
2.20Association shall include on its Web site for each reporting hospital on a quarterly basis
2.21the actual direct patient care hours per patient and per unit.
2.22 Sec. 2. STUDY AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
2.23(a) The commissioner shall study the correlation between nurse staffing levels and
2.24patient outcomes and report the results of the study to the chairs and ranking minority
2.25members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over health and human services
2.26by January 15, 2015.
2.27(b) The commissioner shall make recommendations regarding the collection of
2.28standardized data concerning the linkage between nurse staffing levels and the quality of
2.29acute care, including patient outcomes. If the commissioner determines that more specific
2.30data is needed, the commissioner may require hospitals to report the core staffing plans
2.31on a per-shift basis.
