No abstract

The current nursing shortage poses a significant threat to the quality of health care delivery in the United States. High-profile studies examining the dangers of inadequate nurse staffing in hospitals and increased attention from the media have resulted in a public outcry for action. State and federal policy makers have acknowledged the concerns of their constituents and have been spurred into action. This article presents an overview of legislation that states have introduced to address issues relative to the nursing crisis. The legislative proposals to be discussed are the establishment of staffing ratios, placing limits on mandatory overtime, and the creation of nursing commissions.