Ohio bill would mandate nurse-to-patient ratios

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVG) - Ohio lawmakers are debating a bill to address challenges facing nurses. One solution on the table is mandating minimum staffing ratios in all hospital units.

The Ohio nurses association surveyed 11,000 nurses last year and found 58% of them left bedside roles because of their patient care load, and 70% of direct care nurses said they’re considering leaving bedside roles because of how many patients they’re caring for.

A bill in the Ohio House, introduced by northwest Ohio lawmakers, would create minimum staffing standards for Ohio hospitals. They’d have up to two years to implement these ratios.

Dozens of nurses packed into a committee room at the statehouse Tuesday to testify in support of the proposal. They stressed that nurses are struggling with burnout, an issue that really took a toll during the pandemic.

One registered nurse at Mercy Health said he believes ratios are needed to improve patient safety and reduce burnout.

“This bill is a focused effort to be able to assist nurses in delivering the quality care that they want to deliver each and every day. Today, right now, there are nurses that are in rooms, and have a patient count that is higher than they have the capacity to deliver care,” David Kissinger, a Registered Nurse at Mercy Health said.

The bill also creates a $20 million loan-to-grant program for nursing students.

Nursing students could get $12,000 in loans. They don’t need to repay those loans if they stay in Ohio for five years after graduation.

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