Nurses play a crucial part in the health care system by providing patient-centered care and a holistic approach to health which focuses on a patient’s total well-being. In Illinois as of 2021, there are about 206,000 nurses (1,310 RNs per 100,000 Illinois citizens). The demand for nurses has increased due to our aging population and the effects of COVID-19 which have put stress on nurses mentally and physically from strenuous hours caring for multiple patients. In 2020, the number of U.S. nurses reporting symptoms related to burnout has risen to 62 percent, which is one of the major reasons nurses are leaving their jobs along with stressful work environments, inadequate staffing, and poor management. 

Nurse burnout due to heavy workloads also worsens patient health outcomes. A study of Illinois acute care facilities found that for each additional patient in a nurse's workload, the odds of a patient’s death increased by 16% and resulted in a longer hospital stay. If they had enforced a 1:4 RN to patient ratio during that one-year study period, then more than 1595 deaths would have been avoided and hospitals would have collectively saved over $117 million. Illinois nurses currently see anywhere from 4.2 to 7.6 patients suggesting an inequitable distribution of care. Policymakers must take action to protect our nurses and patients.

We urge Illinois Representative Jan Schakowsky to introduce a Safer Staffing Act that will set the recommended minimum RN-to-patient ratios in the state’s acute care facilities. These specific ratios for different hospital units in this act would be set based upon systematic multiyear research by the Illinois Department of Health and collaboration with healthcare professionals. Representative Schakowsky herself said that nurses’ “​​safe staffing levels save lives and contribute to lower patient mortality rates.” A research-based minimum RN-to-patient standard would ensure that Illinois nurses are protected from burnout leading to improved job satisfaction and patient care.