As a community deeply concerned about the wellbeing of our healthcare professionals and patients, we have witnessed firsthand how overwhelmed and understaffed our nursing facilities are. Nurses are often forced to take on assignments without question, risking fatal errors with patients or burning out too quickly. Many accept these assignments out of fear of losing their jobs or licenses.

We believe it's time to change this reality. We are calling for mandatory safe Nurse-to-Patient ratios in all Skilled Nursing Facilities(SNF), Long-Term Acute Care Hospitals (LTACH), and Post-Acute Medical facilities. These ratios should be determined by patient acuity and number caps to ensure both the safety of patients and the wellbeing of nurses.

Research shows that safe staffing levels can significantly reduce medical errors (Aiken et al., 2014). Furthermore, burnout rates among nurses decrease when they are not overstretched (Cimiotti et al., 2012). By implementing safe staffing ratios, we can improve patient outcomes while also protecting our hardworking nurses from burnout.

Let's eliminate the routine that is nursing staff accepting assignments in duress while they’re working in these critical roles.

Let's create a safer environment for both our healthcare professionals and those they care for by mandating safe nurse-to-patient ratios across all SNF and LTACHs.

Please sign this petition today to support safer conditions in our healthcare system.