BILL REQ. #:  H-3945.2 

Read first time 01/20/2004.   Referred to Committee on Health Care.

     AN ACT Relating to a task force on nurses' work environment and patient safety; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   Health care research continues to demonstrate the direct correlation between nurse staffing and better patient outcomes. Moreover, improvements in safety of staff, job satisfaction, and reduction of workplace injuries have also been directly linked to higher registered nurse staffing levels. Therefore, to safeguard the public and support registered nurses, the legislature finds that a task force to examine the nurses' work environment and patient safety is essential to ensure quality patient care in Washington state.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   The secretary of health shall convene a task force on nurses' work environment and patient safety to prepare a report to the legislature and propose measures aimed at improving patient safety by addressing the features of nurses' current work environments that may contribute to commission of preventable adverse patient events.
     (1) In preparing its report, the task force shall:
     (a) Consider the Institute of Medicine's 2003 report, Keeping Patients Safe: Transforming the Work Environment of Nurses;
     (b) Address priorities for implementing recommendations of the Institute of Medicine's report in Washington, as well as other means of improving patient safety;
     (c) Examine current nurse staffing patterns in Washington health care facilities; and
     (d) Include, as part of its recommendations, proposals for staffing systems designed to improve patient safety, quality of care, and retention of nursing staff.
     (2) The task force shall consist of fifteen members appointed by the secretary of health. Members shall include:
     (a) Two registered nurses from organizations representing nurses involved in direct patient care;
     (b) One representative of an organization representing hospitals;
     (c) Four health care professionals involved in direct patient care, to include two registered nurses and one health care professional working in a long-term care setting;
     (d) Two registered nurses in managerial or executive roles;
     (e) One faculty member of an academic institution preparing registered nurses;
     (f) One consumer representative;
     (g) One representative of the nursing care quality assurance commission;
     (h) One quality director of a health care facility;
     (i) One human resources representative of a health care facility; and
     (j) One representative of the long-term care facilities.
     (3) The task force shall issue its report to the legislature by January 1, 2005.
     (4) Any administrative costs of the department of health shall be borne from nursing license fee revenues from existing fees deposited into the health professions account.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   This act expires January 1, 2005.