Nurses have been put in unsafe situations by having to take care of more patients than they are able to effectively manage at one time. California and Massachusetts are the only states with nurse to patient ratio standards. All states need to have mandated nurse to patient ratios because it will alleviate the pre shift anxiety of not knowing how many patients the nurse will be responsible to care for. Nurses will be in a better headspace and be able to care for the patients they are assigned to their full capabilities. If hospitals do not create safe nurse to patient ratios, they will continue to lose nurses and create an even bigger nursing shortage.