Wrangling continues on nurse ratios. (Health Care).JUST when you thought the battle over safe-staffing ratios for nurses had calmed down, it's reared its head again -- this time during hearings the state is holding before issuing a final set of regulations. Once more, the California Nurses Association The California Nurses Association (CNA) is the largest and fastest-growing labor union and professional association of Registered Nurses in California. The National Nurses Organizing Committee is a national labor union for Registered Nurses, and is affiliated with the CNA. , the Service Employees International Union and California Healthcare Association are butting heads over what should be the proper ratios of nurses-to-patients in hospitals. The CAN, which represents registered nurses, seeks to have the state specify that hospitals can meet regulations by staffing only with registered nurses, while the SEIU SEIU Service Employees International Union SEIU Special Education Intake Unit SEIU Secondary Education Interdisciplinary Unit SEIU Software Engineering Institute Union , which represents both registered and licensed practical nurses li·censed practical nurse n. Abbr. LPN A nurse who has completed a practical nursing program and is licensed by a state to provide routine patient care under the direction of a registered nurse or a physician. , is pushing for tougher ratios in some wards. The CHA, the hospital trade group, is seeking language that would grant them more "flexibility" in staffing while delaying implementation until 2006, fearing a nursing shortage will make it impossible for hospitals to find additional nurses. The state Department of Health Services Department of Health Services may refer to:
Staff reporter Laurence Darmiento can be reached at (323) 549-5225 ext. 237 or at ldarmiento@labusinessjournal.com |
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