A bill to help with the healthcare staffing shortage became law on Thursday, announced the Washington State Senate Democrats.
Senate Bill 5236 will lighten workloads and manage worker burnout, say Democrats. It will require hospitals to submit staffing plans to the state Department of Health. The plans will be developed by a hospital’s designated staffing committee, made up of 50% frontline staff and 50% hospital administration.
If a hospital is less than 80% compliant with the hospital’s approved plan, the DOH and the state Department of Labor and Industries can investigate and require corrections, along with penalties. The bill also ensures break and overtime laws for healthcare workers, which were passed in 2019, are followed.
A poll in February showed that 49% of Washington’s healthcare workers said they were likely to leave the field in the next few years. Of those who wanted to leave, 68% said it was because of short staffing.
“By creating an enforcement mechanism with real penalties, we can ensure safe-staffing standards are followed rather than ignored, allowing workers to do their jobs safely and provide our loved ones the quality care they deserve,” said bill sponsor Sen. June Robinson. “Washington should be a place healthcare workers want to come and have long, successful careers — this is a necessary, meaningful step toward that goal.”
©2023 Cox Media Group
