AFT Statement on Nurse Safe Staffing Levels

WASHINGTON—American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten released the following statement on the Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act introduced by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). The AFT is the second-largest nurses union in the country.

“Safe staffing ratios save lives and allow nurses to nurture their patients. This bill, introduced during Nurse Appreciation Week, honors the work nurses do by setting minimum nurse-to-patient ratios that will help them care for patients. This will help recruit and retain nurses, minimize shortages, improve patient care, and provide whistleblower protections so nurses can feel secure in advocating for their patients and themselves. We thank Rep. Schakowsky and Sen. Brown for their leadership on this issue and urge their colleagues to support this important bill.”