Nurse staffing is one of the most debatable issues, and it has become one of the areas of concern for nursing advocates. Nurses have made a lot of effort to improve the situation in American hospitals by advocating the need to introduce staffing standards. Some states enacted the corresponding laws, which can be seen as a result of this advocacy. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1714 was passed in 2017 by the State of Washington. This law establishes certain guidelines regarding nurse staffing. The legislation is an amendment of the existing law that introduces the requirement for hospitals to develop staffing plans and the responsibilities of the committee, including addressing complaints. The law sets standards hospitals to have to comply with, which has a positive effect on nursing practice and patient outcomes. Nurses have more time to address the needs of the assigned patients who benefit from this improved care.
The enactment of the law shows that states are ready to implement change and are committed to solving issues related to nurse staffing. However, these efforts are still confined to the state level, which has only limited effects on the overall healthcare system. It is essential to make sure that the corresponding laws will be enacted at the national level. To achieve this goal, nurses can form hospital-based policy forums that would ensure effective communication and collaboration with policymakers. Nursing professionals should also implement research to obtain evidence to support their stance. Nursing practitioners should provide evidence-based arguments to policymakers and advocate the introduction of nurse staffing standards at the national level. The legislation related to national nurse staffing standards is now being discussed in the US Congress, so nurses have an opportunity to achieve their goal, but they need to be active and persistent.