I am a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) working in a hospital in North Carolina. Every day, my colleagues and I face the challenge of providing quality care to our patients due to unsafe staffing ratios. Nurses and CNAs are stretched thin, often caring for more patients than is safe or reasonable. This not only affects our wellbeing but also directly impacts the level of care we can provide to our patients.

In California, state law mandates specific nurse-to-patient ratios which have been shown to improve patient outcomes and reduce nurse burnout (source: Health Affairs Journal). We need this same legislation here in North Carolina.

Our goal is simple yet critical: require all hospitals and nursing homes/facilities where there are patients/residents where people depend on the care and skills of healthcare workers in North Carolina to maintain safe staffing ratios for RNs, LPNs and CNAs. This will ensure that every patient receives the attention they deserve while also protecting healthcare workers from undue stress and burnout.

There should be mandatory staff/nurse-to-patient ratios across all units and specialties! this is something that needs to be done to protect nurses, cnas, and other healthcare workers along with patients from accidents and other situations that can be prevented by having SAFE staffing ratios. 

Healthcare workers are not numbers or robots. We are human beings too, and while we fight to advocate for our patients, it’s time we fight and advocate for our fellow healthcare workers and demand change that is beneficial to the public, and to healthcare.

We urge lawmakers in North Carolina to prioritize this issue - for the sake of healthcare workers like me, but most importantly, for every patient who entrusts us with their care. Please sign this petition today and help us advocate for safer hospitals throughout our state.