Senator pushes for national nurse-to-patient ratios, sounds alarm on patient safety

Editor's Note

Senator Bernie Sanders and nurse leaders are demanding immediate federal action to address what they describe as a national nurse staffing crisis that is driving moral distress among nurses and putting patients at risk, Nurse.org October 27 reports. A US Senate HELP Committee hearing spotlighted compelling testimony from frontline nurses who described dangerous staffing conditions and called for enforceable nurse-to-patient ratios.

Mary Turner, RN, president of National Nurses United, told lawmakers that nurses are not simply burned out but “breaking down” due to work environments that prevent them from providing safe patient care. The emotional toll is especially acute among younger nurses, many of whom have left the profession after feeling “defeated” on understaffed shifts.

The article reports that while some hospital leaders cite a nationwide nursing shortage, Turner argued the real issue is how nurses are treated on the job. She dismissed the idea of a supply crisis and pointed instead to unsafe workloads and a lack of meaningful support. Citing research in her testimony, Turner said that each additional patient added to a nurse’s workload raises hospital mortality by 7%.

Senator Sanders echoed those concerns and urged Congress to protect both patients and nurses with staffing mandates similar to California’s nurse-to-patient ratio law. The hearing aimed to guide the development of federal legislation to regulate staffing and prevent further nurse attrition.

Beyond staffing, the discussion connected the crisis to broader healthcare inequities. Sanders and Turner warned that recent Medicaid cuts will force millions into hospitals without coverage and worsen uncompensated care burdens. Turner argued that treating healthcare as a human right must include ensuring nurses have the resources to deliver safe, quality care.