Make Your Voice Heard
We currently have two important opportunities to make your voice heard on important nursing and cardiovascular issues.
- Increasing Access to Cardiac Rehabilitation Care Act of 2023
- Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act
Take Action
As the most trusted profession in the country, the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association believes that nurses have a unique opportunity to make a difference in the lives of their patients through public policy.
The Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act
There are no federal regulations governing the maximum number of patients RNs can attend to simultaneously. Consequently, RNs often find themselves caring for more patients than is safe, jeopardizing patient care and negatively impacting patient outcomes.
Staffing levels, among other unsafe conditions, are driving RNs away from direct patient care roles. The proposed legislation aims to enhance patient care and boost RN retention rates by establishing mandatory minimum nurse-to-patient ratios.
The bill:
- Requires hospitals to annually develop safe staffing plans that meet the bill’s mandated minimum RN staffing ratios and provide for additional staffing based on individual patient care needs.
- Requires hospitals to post notices on minimum ratios and maintain records on RN and other staffing.
- Provides whistleblower protections, including administrative complaint process and cause of action, for nurses who speak out against assignments that are unsafe for the patient or nurse.
- Authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to enforce the minimum RN staffing ratios through administrative complaints and civil penalties.
- Allows a longer implementation timeline for rural acute-care hospitals to ensure compliance.
Read the full text of the bill and contact your legislators today!
Increasing Access to Cardiac Rehabilitation Care Act of 2023
In 2018, advanced practice providers were granted the authority to supervise cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (BBA). While this is an important step, it is imperative that advanced practice providers are also able to prescribe these services for their Medicare patients.
Although advanced practice providers often serve as the primary provider and possess comprehensive knowledge of the patient's healthcare requirements, existing regulations mandate that a physician to prescribe these services. This is leading to delays Eliminating this outdated restriction would significantly broaden Medicare patients' access to these critical rehabilitation programs.
Read the full text of the bill and contact your legislators today!