California nurse staffing law and RN workforce changes

The minimum nurse-patient staffing legislation in California was fully implemented in 2004. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects on the minimum nurse-patient staffing legislation on the demographic, human capital, and work characteristics of the working RN population, focusing specifically on direct care nurses in the acute care setting. The most interesting finding of this study was an increase in nurse satisfaction after the minimum staffing law was implemented. Findings also suggest that work environments need to change to accommodate the changes that have occurred in the nurse population. Nurses should practice to the full extent of their education and training; nurses should be full partners in redesigning the health care system; nurse education should promote seamless academic progression; and effective workforce planning and policymaking should be conducted. Administrators, health policymakers, and advocates must develop job descriptions and work environments that maximize the attachment of the labor force in terms of hours worked per week of RNs for all nurses but especially for those over 50 years of age and non-Whites.