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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Health professionals gathered at the Ohio Statehouse on Wednesday morning to spread awareness about the challenges nurses could face in their work environments.
Advocates supported a proposal at the Statehouse which could add more employees to the health care field and help registered nurses in the workforce. They believe a major problem is the shortage of employees.
What You Need To Know
- Registered nurses and advocates spread awareness on tensions within their work environment
- Health professionals discussed a proposal at the Statehouse that could help nursing professionals
- A father of a former registered nurse is calling attention to workforce abuse
“There is a need for change,” said Ron Smith, the father of a former- registered nurse. “The way that hospitals treat their nursing staff.”
Ron Smith’s daughter, Tristin Kate, was once a thriving and very resilient registered nurse. Smith said she worked long hours and felt unappreciated for all the work nurses do on a daily basis. He said Aug. 7, 2023, was one of the worst days of his life. It is the day his daughter died by suicide. Smith discovered an unofficial suicide note on her laptop that discussed the nursing industry as a contributing factor to her decision. She cited the treatment of employees, and her feelings.
“She felt very unsafe at work,” Smith said. “The other thing is that the law doesn’t protect us and neither do you.”
Smith is one advocate for House Bill 285, The Workforce and Safe Patient Care Act. It would address the nursing workforce shortage and enhance patient safety. The proposal asks for an increased nursing staff to establish a safe nurse-to-patient ratio.
“Hospital executives have failed to prioritize the health and well-being of staff and patients,” said Rick Lucas, the president and executive director of the Ohio Nurses Association. “That’s led to a crisis in our hospitals with nurse turnover, nurse fatigue, violence erupting because we’re not able to meet patients’ needs.”
“Adding just one extra patient to a nurse’s workload can dramatically increase the risk of in hospital mortality readmissions,” Katherine Henderson, a registered nurse said. “It’s unacceptable, and it’s dangerous.”
One sponsor of the proposal agrees with the nursing advocates’ call for justice. State Representative Elgin Rogers Jr., a sponsor of the bill, said the reason the proposal exists is to counteract the problems the health care industry faces. He said the first step is for everyone working to put their voice out in the world.
“To those same nurses that talk about their mental health,” Rogers Jr. said. “We need to make sure that we are listening, because if nurses go away, guess what happens to us ultimately will go away.”
The bill has just been assigned to a committee where lawmakers will begin hearing from people who oppose and support the proposal.