Nurse Staffing Law
In 2015, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill (SB) 469. The Legislature considered input from the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) and the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (OAHHS). The intent of the law was to continue to refine and improve Oregon’s nurse staffing laws. SB 469 made the following changes to Oregon’s nurse staffing laws:
Clarified that hospitals must implement the nurse staffing plans approved by their respective HNSCs.
Amended language to clarify that nursing staff members could not be required to work more than 12 hours in total during any 24-hour period.
Mandated the composition and record-keeping requirements of HNSCs.
Provided additional factors for HNSCs to consider when creating nurse staffing plans.
Defined a mediation process to for use when a HNSC reaches an impasse.
Created a 12-member statewide NSAB.
Defined specific timelines for nurse staffing complaint investigations.
Increased the frequency of standard nurse staffing surveys from once every 13 years to once every three years.
Required follow-up evaluations of deficiencies found in standard surveys and complaint investigations.
Expanded hospital record-keeping requirements.
Clarified OHA posting requirements for public records related to nurse staffing.