Require Hospitals to Meet National Nurse Staffing Standards

 

 

The purpose of this bill is to ensure that hospitals in Minnesota provide adequate staffing with registered nurses to

improve patient care quality and safety. It will enhance transparency and make for a more detailed law on

nurse-to-patient ratios through reporting requirements.

 

Passing this bill in Minnesota would ensure that hospitals are held accountable for maintaining proper staffing levels.

According to the National Institute of Health, rising patient numbers can cause additional workloads for nurses, higher

nurse burnout, higher patient deaths within 30 days of admission, and more. A 2025 survey that was conducted by the

Minnesota Nurses Association shows that 50% of respondents believe nurse staffing levels have worsened in the past five

years, and over 44% say that the quality of care in Minnesota hospitals has gotten worse. Furthermore, the same source

states that staffing was the number one condition needed for nurses to return to their careers, cited by 63% of nurse

respondents. Maintaining adequate staffing will help the well-being of our nurses, will cause fewer readmissions for

patients, shorter length of stay, and higher patient satisfaction. Hospitals will be required to record nurse-to-patient

ratios in each unit, as well as implement and submit a staffing plan that is based on patient acuity and unit type to

the Minnesota Department of Health that fits their needs. Staffing plans must be created in consultation with

direct-care registered nurses to assess needs. These must be made available to the rest of the hospital. According to

the Joint Commission, hospitals must meet specific staffing standards to earn or maintain accreditation. By having

Minnesota meet the default requirements that the Joint Commission requires would allow all hospitals across the state to

meet the standards of becoming accredited, showing that the hospital has been evaluated thoroughly and met standards of

patient safety and quality of care, which is something many hospitals should strive for. Overall, this bill will improve

the livelihoods of many Minnesotans and help ensure safe staffing levels.

 

Registered Nurse (RN) - A Medical professional who has graduated from a registered nursing program. They have passed the

NCLEX-RN and have an RN license.

Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) -

Nurse-to-patient ratio - Indicates the amount of patients assigned to a nurse

Patient acuity - The measurement of the level of care a patient needs based on the severity of an illness or mental

condition

Length of stay - Duration spent in a particular healthcare setting (such as a hospital, from admission to discharge)

Accredited hospital - A hospital that has gone through an evaluation by a regulatory body and deemed to meet high enough

standards for quality and safety

HCAF - Health Care Access Fund, which is a fund that supports access to healthcare for Minnesotans, contain healthcare

costs, and improve the quality of healthcare, which is funded by a 1.8% provider tax

 

The Minnesota Health Care Access Fund will be the main source of funding for this bill. Some of the budget will be used

towards helping support the implementation of this bill. Funding can be used towards development of nurse-to-patient

ratio systems, enforcement, and more. Penalties collected under this bill will be redirected to the Minnesota Department

of Health to be re-used for this bill’s purpose. This will allow the bill to fund itself, as hospitals that fail to meet

the standards will contribute to this bill’s enforcement and monitoring.

 

Non-compliant hospitals will face fines from the Minnesota Department of Health starting at $25,000 per incident. The

Department of Health will publicly report non-compliance cases.

 

July 1, 2029