HB 3985
Modifies the minimum standards for staffing plans for direct care registered nurses in an emergency department.
Jurisdiction
Oregon
Session
2025 Regular Session
Committee
Behavioral Health and Health Care
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Sign in to take action- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Bill overview
This bill adjusts the minimum staffing requirements for registered nurses in Oregon hospitals, specifically within emergency departments, intensive care units, labor and delivery units, and other specialized areas. It sets limits on the number of patients a nurse can care for simultaneously, based on patient acuity and unit type, and allows for some flexibility through nurse staffing committees and innovative care models. The bill also addresses deviations from staffing plans and the role of charge nurses.
Key provisions
- Establishes minimum nurse-to-patient ratios for various hospital units, including emergency departments, intensive care, labor and delivery, and postpartum units.
- Specifies different patient ratios based on patient acuity levels (e.g., triage scores).
- Allows for deviations from staffing ratios with hospital nurse staffing committee approval and re-approval every two years for innovative care models.
- Permits charge nurses to take patient assignments in units with 10 or fewer beds and with committee approval in larger units.
- Outlines a process for reporting and tracking deviations from staffing plans.
- Requires hospitals to provide meal breaks and rest breaks for nurses.
- Clarifies that patient classifications for staffing ratios should be based on a licensed independent practitioner's assessment.
- Addresses the calculation of patient counts, counting mothers and babies as separate patients.
Who is affected
- Hospitals
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