Nurses Call for Passage of Patient Safety Act in PA

Hundreds of nurses from seven of the region’s largest nurses’ unions and advocacy groups call on legislators to support the nurse-to-patient ratio bill being introduced in the PA legislature

HARRISBURG, PA – On Tuesday, May 2, at 11:30am on the Capitol Steps in Harrisburg, hundreds of nurses from seven of the largest unions and nurse advocacy groups in the region will gather with legislators and other supporters to speak out and urge the PA House to support the Patient Safety Act (PSA). The bill would establish safe staffing standards for all PA Hospitals in order to fix the current nurse workforce crisis, save hospitals money, and most importantly — save lives.

Pennsylvania is facing a crisis in healthcare. Unprecedented levels of short-staffing are leading nurses to leave the profession in record numbers and patients and communities are suffering. We need to directly address the conditions that drive caregiver burnout, trauma, and turnover, and improve care by passing the PSA into law now.

The PA House bill is being introduced in bipartisan cooperation by prime cosponsors state representatives Kathleen C. Tomlinson (R), serving parts of Bucks County; Bridget Kosierowski (D), serving Lackawanna County; and Thomas L. Mehaffie, III (R) serving Dauphin County. The PA Senate version will be introduced by prime cosponsor Sen. Maria Collett (D), serving parts of Bucks and Montgomery Counties, herself a nurse.

Nurses’ unions and advocacy organizations participating include:

Nurse Alliance of SEIU Healthcare PA;
Nurses of Pennsylvania;
Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses & Allied Professionals (PASNAP);
Jersey Nurses Economic Security Organization (JNESO);
Healthcare – Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA);
Council 13 of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); and
Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE)

*** PHOTO OP: Frontline nurses and legislators will be available for photos and comment following the press conference. Prior to the press conference, nurses will be visiting their elected representatives in their offices and greeting legislators as they enter the House floor. ***

WHAT: PA nurses call for passage of Patient Safety Act

WHEN: Tuesday, May 2; 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

WHERE: The Capitol Steps

WHO: Nurses from across Pennsylvania and legislators.

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The Nurse Alliance of SEIU Healthcare PA is part of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, the state’s largest and fastest-growing union of nurses and healthcare workers. We unite tens of thousands of professional and technical employees, direct care workers, and service employees in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home- and community-based services, and state facilities across the Commonwealth. SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania members are committed to improving the lives of healthcare workers and ensuring quality care and healthy communities for all Pennsylvanians.