AONL rebuts New York Times op-ed on nurse staffing

In response to a recent essay in the New York Times, AONL President Mary Ann Fuchs, DNP, RN, rebuts the author’s support for legislating patient-to-nurse staffing ratios. “While we can all agree that staffing is a critical component of good care, mandated nurse staffing ratios removes needed flexibility from nurses for the care they provide,” she wrote. In her view, adding ratios alone cannot guarantee a safe heath care environment. “To truly commit to patient safety—always the number one priority—nurses, not legislators, need to be empowered with flexibility to determine appropriate staffing for the needs of their patients.” (AHA News article, 8/20/21)