Nurse staffing: the Illinois experience.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Policy
• Nursing Administration
• Health Services Research

Background:

• The Illinois Nurse Staffing by Patient Acuity Act was finalized in March 2008.
• This legislation emerged from a collaboration between the Illinois Nurses Association and the Illinois Hospital Association.
• It offers an alternative to rigid, mandated nurse-to-patient staffing ratios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development and implementation of the Illinois Nurse Staffing by Patient Acuity Act.
• To highlight the collaborative approach in creating flexible staffing legislation.
• To present the Illinois experience as a potential model for other states.

Main Methods:

• The law's final rules were published in March 2008.
• The legislation was collaboratively authored by nursing and hospital associations.
• Best practices were identified and disseminated to nurse leaders statewide.

Main Results:

• The Act provides nurses a voice in organizational staffing plans.
• The rules are non-prescriptive, allowing organizational flexibility.
• Dissemination of best practices supported implementation across Illinois.

Conclusions:

• The Illinois Nurse Staffing by Patient Acuity Act offers a flexible, collaborative model for nurse staffing.
• This approach empowers nurses and fosters shared decision-making.
• The Illinois model can inform nurse staffing debates in other states.