The new Governor Schwarzenegger has not delayed
the new laws signed by former Gov. Gray Davis. California hospitals
have been provided with over four years to prepare, recruit, and
hire nurses since the law was signed.
Typically, such major laws start in the east and/or west coast
states and move to the rest of the country within a short period
of time.
More on this topic available from the California
Healthcare Association and California
Nurses Association websites.
The following are the new California mandated Nurse-to-Patient
Ratios starting 1-1-04.
| Intensive/Critical Care |
1:2 |
| Neo-natal Intensive Care |
1:2 |
| Operating Room (2) |
1:1 |
| Post-anesthesia recovery |
1:2 |
| Labor and Delivery |
1:2 |
| Antepartum |
1:4 |
| Postpartum couplets |
1:4 |
| Postpartum women only |
1:6 |
| Pediatrics |
1:4 |
| Emergency Room (3) |
1:4 |
| ICU patients in the ER |
1:2 |
| Trauma patients in the ER (2) |
1:1 |
| Step Down Initial |
1:4 |
| Step Down in 2008 |
1:3 |
| Telemetry Initial |
1:5 |
| Telemetry in 2008 |
1:4 |
| Medical/Surgical Initial |
1:6 |
| Medical/Surgical in 2005 |
1:5 |
| Other Specialty Care Initial (4) |
1:5 |
| Other Specialty Care in 2008 (4) |
1:4 |
| Psychiatric |
1:6 |
All ratios are minimums. Hospitals must increase
staffing as needed by patient acuity.
(1) Charge RNs and managers are not counted in
the ratios
(2.) RN license only
(3) Triage at Base Ratio RNs shall
not be included in teh ratios. Every ER must have an
RN, with experience in embergeincy care, on duty
at all times. |
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