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Nurses push for safer staffing

Posted at 12:37 PM, May 06, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-06 13:28:58-04

Annually May 6th is celebrated nationwide as Nation Nurses Day to honor the men and women that save lives on a daily basis. 

This year rallies are being held across the state, including a rally in Buffalo, to promote the Safe Staffing for Quality Care Act. Nurses stood by lawmakers like Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, Assemblyman Sean Ryan and Crystal People-Stokes, Senator Tim Kennedy and many others. 
 
They drew attention to the startling statistics as a result of low staffing. According to the New York State Nurses Association, for every eight patients that have one nurse more deaths occur.
 
For every additional patient given to one nurse, there's a 7% increase for risk of death. 
 
Right now New York State doesn't have a nurse-to-patient staffing ratio. 
 
Cindy, a nurse at Friday's rally, works in a hospital emergency room. She said she had to deal with losing a patient and recounts the experience as her worst nightmare. 
 
"Every 20 minutes I called either my nurse's manager or my charge nurse to get help. No one came," said Cindy. "Those patients were not taken care of for the entire length of time that they were there. I couldn't do it. There needs to be a safe staffing ratio. Patients are going to die."
 
Locally, 20 municipalities have passed resolutions because they want the bill passed. 
 
They're asking for a staffing ratio of about one nurse to every four patients, similar to requirements in California. 
 
Statistics also show that hospital income rose in California from $12.5 billion starting in 1994 to $20.6 billion by 2010.
 
To view more statistics click here.
 
For more information about the bill click here