WHEREAS, America is experiencing a severe nursing crisis that will intensify as baby boomers age and the need for health care grows; and

WHEREAS, There are not enough nurses to do what needs to be done on any given shift and the nurses who are on duty are exhausted and stressed; and

WHEREAS, The environment in which nurses work is a breeding ground for medical errors which will continue to threaten patient safety until substantially reformed; and

WHEREAS, A 2007 study in the American Journal of Nursing found that among new Registered Nurses: 64% work overtime regularly; 66% work 12-hour shifts; and 32% say that three or more days a week, they have more work than can be done; and

WHEREAS, 37% of Registered Nurses who leave their first job, cite stressful working conditions as the reason; and

WHEREAS, There is a bill currently in Congress that could go a long way toward improving the working conditions in our hospitals, and at the same time, greatly improve the quality of care that patients receive; and

WHEREAS, H.R. 2273, the Nurse Staffing Standards for Patient Safety and Quality Act of 2273 and will require hospitals to develop staffing plans and implement minimum Registered Nurse to patient staffing ratios; and

WHEREAS, The California Nurses’ Association found that after the enactment of California’s staffing ratio law in 2004, the number of actively licensed nurses in California increased by 60%; now

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That Pride@Work goes on record in support of H.R. 2273; and

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That Pride@Work respectfully asks the leadership in the House of Representatives to act on H.R. 2273 before the end of the currently legislative session; and

THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be sent to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Chairman Henry Waxman.