Dive Brief:
- The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission has approved the state's first nurse staffing mandate, requiring hospitals to limit intensive care nurses to a maximum of two patients each.
- The mandate applies to all ICUs, including those specialized for burn patients, children, and newborns.
- The Massachusetts Nurses Association had supported limiting ICU nurses to only one patient each, but praised the new rules because of the inclusion of specialty units.
Dive Insight:
The regulations appear to have reached a successful compromise to resolve the staffing concerns of both nurse and hospital association leaders, which have long been a point of contention.
"Overall, the commission found a thoughtful, patient-focused balance," says Timothy F. Gens, executive vice president of the Massachusetts Hospital Association.
The rules, approved Wednesday, come from a bill approved by legislators last year.