ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed legislation requiring general hospitals in the state to seek input from nurses and other staff in creating staffing plans that are to include specific guidelines on how many patients each nurse is assigned.
The law, signed Friday, requires hospitals to form committees composed of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, ancillary staff members providing direct patient care, and hospital administrators to form the staffing plans.
"The COVID-19 pandemic placed unprecedented strain on New York State's hospital systems and revealed a host of issues with regard to staffing and the effective allocation of resources," Governor Cuomo said.
"This legislation requires hospitals to create committees that include the very same staff who treat patients on the ground every single day and come up with plans that take their concerns into consideration when allocating staff. We need to make sure nurses and ancillary staff have a voice in their hospitals, and these new requirements will make sure they collaboratively plan for the future."
