Chapter 05-060

2005 -- S 0552

Enacted 06/23/05

A N A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- HEALTH CARE QUALITY PROGRAM

Introduced By: Senators Roberts, Polisena, Ruggerio, and Tassoni

Date Introduced: February 10, 2005

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Chapter 23-17.17 of the General Laws entitled "Health Care Quality

Program" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

23-17.17-8. Annual hospital staffing report. – Annually in the month of January, every

licensed hospital shall submit to the Rhode Island department of health, its core-staffing plan.

Such plan shall specify for each patient care unit and each shift, the number of registered nurses,

licensed practical nurses and/or certified nursing assistants who shall ordinarily be assigned to

provide direct patient care and the average number of patients upon which such staffing levels are

based.

For the purposes of this section “core-staffing plan” shall mean the projected complement

of nonmanagerial nursing staff that shall be assigned on each shift to a specified patient care unit.

“Nonmanagerial nursing staff” shall mean registered nurses, licensed practical nurses

and/or certified nursing assistants who perform nonmanagerial direct patient care functions for

more than fifty percent (50%) of their scheduled hours on a given patient care unit.

“Patient care unit” shall mean a designated area for assigning patients and staff for which

discrete budget and staffing plans exist.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC01901

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