Infographic: What are Nurse-to-Patient Ratios, and why do they matter?

“Staffing Ratios Matter.” That’s the primary message from the folks at “Show Me Your Stethoscope,” the nurse advocacy group that we previously talked about right here on this blog. On May 12th, SMYS held a rally in Washington D.C.  to show their support for the National Nursing Shortage Reform and Patient Advocacy Act as well as the Nurse Staffing Standards for Patient Safety and Quality Care Act.

This would regulate the maximum number of patients nurses would be allowed to care for during a given shift. Nursing assignments would not be allowed to exceed the proposed ratio.

In short, both of these bills will help establish federally-mandated requirements for nurse-to-patient staffing ratios — which would come with a multitude of benefits for patients, nurses and hospitals.

Because we believe in the health of our nurses as well as as keeping with our mantra of “HEALTHCARE WITH PURPOSE, where our patients are our first concern,” we’ve created this handy infographic that gives 4 simple reasons why Nurse-to-Patient ratios matter. Feel free to share this to show your support for a healthier work environment for everyone!