According to a report from Medill Illinois News Bureau, a group of advocates are pushing for a more comprehensive minimum nursing staff ratio required for hospitals in Illinois. The rally in Springfield comes as lawmakers in Illinois are considering passing a reform called the Hospital Worker Staff and Safety bill. It is legislation that would create new mandatory nurse-to-patient staffing standards. In this article, our Chicago medical malpractice attorney discusses the issue of nursing staff ratios in hospitals.
Proposed Law: Illinois Hospital Worker Staff and Safety Bill
There are proposals in both chambers of the Illinois legislature pushing for new minimum mandatory standards for hospital staffing. The Illinois Hospital Worker Staff and Safety Bill—House Bill 3512 and Senate Bill 21—is a legislative proposal that is focused on addressing the serious problem of chronic understaffing in hospitals. The goal is to both enhance patient care and promote a safer workplace. Among other things, the bill proposes:
- Mandatory nurse-to-patient staffing ratios and requires hospitals to employ sufficient staff to ensure quality care.
If the bill were to become law in its current form, hospitals would also need to submit annual staffing metrics to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), which would use this data to recommend minimum staffing standards for each hospital unit. Beyond that, the bill introduces “assignment despite objection” forms, allowing healthcare workers to formally report unsafe assignments and, potentially, shift to the hospital.
Bill Still has Many Hurdles to Clear in Illinois to Become Law
It is still unclear as to whether or not this reform package will become law in Illinois. While the proposed legislation has major support from healthcare worker unions and top patient safety advocates, it faces stiff opposition from hospital trade groups as well as some key lawmakers in Springfield. Some of the critics argue that enforcing strict staffing ratios amid our state’s labor shortages for nurses could place unrealistic burdens on hospitals—especially smaller and/or rural facilities. Despite these concerns, proponents emphasize the immediate action to better protect patients from the inherent risk posed by understaffed hospitals.
Why Understaffing of Nurses is a Problem for Patients
Nurses help to form the very backbone of our healthcare system in the United States. They are absolutely essential to patient care in hospitals and many other health facilities. Nursing understaffing is a critical issue in the industry. It threatens patient safety and places unsustainable burdens on medical professionals. When hospitals fail to maintain adequate nurse-to-patient ratios, the entire healthcare delivery system is compromised. Here are four of the most notable dangers associated with improperly staffed hospitals:
- A Far Higher Rate of Medical Errors: When nurses are responsible for too many patients at once, the likelihood of errors rises dramatically. Fatigue, rushing, and divided attention can also lead to mistakes—from mixups with medication mistakes to missed diagnoses to delayed care. Research published in the peer reviewed academic journal Health Affairs shows that each additional patient assigned to a nurse raises the odds of a problem by around seven percent. That is a big difference.
- An Overall Decline in Patient Outcomes: The data is clear: Understaffing of nurses has been directly linked to worse patient outcomes. Indeed, inadequate nursing care can result in longer hospital stays, higher infection rates, more frequent readmissions, and even avoidable fatalities. The lack of time for comprehensive patient monitoring means the earliest and more important signs of deterioration can go unnoticed.
- Staff Burnout and High Turnover: We do not just want enough nurses in hospital, we want experienced, well-trained, and highly qualified nurses. Unfortunately, chronic understaffing creates a high-stress environment where nurses are overworked and emotionally drained. It is a problem that contributes to burnout, dissatisfaction, and increased turnover. The loss of great nurses can lead to even worse outcomes for patients.
Inadequate Staffing Could Give Rise to a Medical Malpractice Claim in Illinois
Hospitals in Illinois have a legal duty to provide patients with high quality care. The failure to do so could be medical malpractice if a patient suffered an adverse outcome because of a medical provider’s negligence. When inadequate nurse staffing contributes to substandard care—such as delayed treatment, medication errors, or missed symptoms of deterioration—a patient may have grounds for a medical malpractice claim. Under Illinois law, a successful malpractice case requires:
- Proof that the provider owed a duty of care (doctor patient relationship);
- A breach in the duty of care (negligence); and
- The breach causes harm to the patient as a direct result.
Understaffing of nurses may be deemed negligent. It could give rise to a medical malpractice claim. In Illinois, courts can consider whether a hospital failed to maintain sufficient staffing levels as part of a broader failure in care delivery. As an example, if an understaffed unit led to a nurse being unable to check vital signs or administer medication on time, and a patient was harmed as a result, the hospital could be held liable through a medical malpractice claim.
Why Trust Our Chicago Medical Malpractice Lawyer
Medical malpractice cases are notoriously complex. If you or your loved one was harmed due to an understaffed or improperly staffed nursing home, we are here to help. At Kennedy Watkins LLC, our Chicago attorneys have the professional expertise that you can rely on. With a proven history of verdicts and settlements, our Chicago medical malpractice lawyers provide free, no obligation initial consultations to victims and their families.
Contact Our Chicago, IL Medical Malpractice Attorney for a Confidential Case Review
At Kennedy Watkins LLC, our Chicago medical malpractice lawyer is a compassionate, experienced advocate for justice. If you or your loved one was the victim of medical negligence, we are more than ready to help. Our firm takes on the full range of malpractice cases, including those involving nursing. Call us now or get in touch with us online to set up your free, no strings attached case review. From our Chicago law office, we handle medical malpractice cases across Northern Illinois.