HF 588

1st Unofficial Engrossment - 88th Legislature (2013 - 2014)

Posted on 05/02/2013 09:18 a.m.

1.1A bill for an act 1.2relating to health; requiring a hospital staffing report; requiring a study on nurse 1.3staffing levels and patient outcomes; appropriating money. 1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 1.5    Section 1. new text begin STAFFING PLAN DISCLOSURE ACT. new text end 1.6     new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end new text begin Definitions. new text end new text begin (a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms new text end 1.7 new text begin have the meanings given. new text end 1.8 new text begin (b) "Core staffing plan" means the projected number of full-time equivalent new text end 1.9 new text begin nonmanagerial care staff that will be assigned in a 24-hour period to an inpatient care unit. new text end 1.10 new text begin (c) "Nonmanagerial care staff" means registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, new text end 1.11 new text begin and other health care workers, which may include but is not limited to nursing assistants, new text end 1.12 new text begin nursing aides, patient care technicians, and patient care assistants, who perform new text end 1.13 new text begin nonmanagerial direct patient care functions for more than 50 percent of their scheduled new text end 1.14 new text begin hours on a given patient care unit. new text end 1.15 new text begin (d) "Inpatient care unit" means a designated inpatient area for assigning patients and new text end 1.16 new text begin staff for which a distinct staffing plan exists and that operates 24 hours per day, seven days new text end 1.17 new text begin per week in a hospital setting. Inpatient care unit does not include any hospital-based new text end 1.18 new text begin clinic, long-term care facility, or outpatient hospital department. new text end 1.19 new text begin (e) "Staffing hours per patient day" means the number of full-time equivalent new text end 1.20 new text begin nonmanagerial care staff who will ordinarily be assigned to provide direct patient care new text end 1.21 new text begin divided by the expected average number of patients upon which such assignments are based. new text end 1.22 new text begin (f) "Patient acuity tool" means a system for measuring an individual patient's need new text end 1.23 new text begin for nursing care. This includes utilizing a professional registered nursing assessment of new text end 1.24 new text begin patient condition to assess staffing need. new text end 2.1     new text begin Subd. 2. new text end new text begin Hospital staffing report. new text end new text begin (a) The chief nursing executive or nursing new text end 2.2 new text begin designee of every reporting hospital in Minnesota under Minnesota Statutes, section new text end 2.3 new text begin 144.50, will develop a core staffing plan for each patient care unit. new text end 2.4 new text begin (b) Core staffing plans shall specify the full-time equivalent for each patient care new text end 2.5 new text begin unit for each 24-hour period. new text end 2.6 new text begin (c) Prior to submitting the core staffing plan, as required in subdivision 3, new text end 2.7 new text begin hospitals shall consult with representatives of the hospital medical staff, managerial and new text end 2.8 new text begin nonmanagerial care staff, and other relevant hospital personnel about the core staffing plan new text end 2.9 new text begin and the expected average number of patients upon which the staffing plan is based. new text end 2.10     new text begin Subd. 3. new text end new text begin Standard electronic reporting developed. new text end new text begin (a) Hospitals must submit new text end 2.11 new text begin the core staffing plans to the Minnesota Hospital Association by January 1, 2014. The new text end 2.12 new text begin Minnesota Hospital Association shall include each reporting hospital's core staffing plan on new text end 2.13 new text begin the Minnesota Hospital Association's Minnesota Hospital Quality Report Web site by April new text end 2.14 new text begin 1, 2014. Any substantial changes to the core staffing plan shall be updated within 30 days. new text end 2.15 new text begin (b) The Minnesota Hospital Association shall include on its Web site for each new text end 2.16 new text begin reporting hospital on a quarterly basis the actual direct patient care hours per patient and new text end 2.17 new text begin per unit. Hospitals must submit the direct patient care report to the Minnesota Hospital new text end 2.18 new text begin Association by July 1, 2014, and quarterly thereafter. new text end 2.19    Sec. 2. new text begin STUDY. new text end 2.20 new text begin The Department of Health shall convene a work group to consult with the department new text end 2.21 new text begin as they study the correlation between nurse staffing levels and patient outcomes. This report new text end 2.22 new text begin shall be presented to the chairs and ranking minority members of the health and human new text end 2.23 new text begin services committees in the house of representatives and the senate by January 15, 2015. new text end 2.24    Sec. 3. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS; NURSING STAFFING. new text end 2.25 new text begin $187,000 in fiscal year 2014 and $65,000 in fiscal year 2015 are appropriated from new text end 2.26 new text begin the general fund to the commissioner of health for the completion of the study in section 2. new text end 2.27 new text begin This is a onetime appropriation. new text end