Registered nurses are hailing the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Office of General Counsel's decision to move forward with a complaint against healthcare giant Community Health Systems and Quorum Health Corporation for numerous alleged labor violations.

California is the only state with a law governing minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios. The ratios vary depending on the type of hospital service but are in the range of one nurse for every five patients. (The ratios are available on the California Department of Public Health website.) The law went into effect in 2004.

One-in-three patients in skilled nursing facilities suffered a medication error, infection or some other type of harm related to their treatment, according to a government report released today that underscores the widespread nature of the country’s patient harm problem.

The majority of occupational injuries suffered by clinicians and nurses are due to patient transfers, according to a recent survey, which found that one in three clinicians and nurses report being injured while moving patients from a bed to a chair.

When you think of disruptive behavior that occurs in a health care setting, you might think of patients or their family members. However, disruptive behavior among healthcare workers has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years, to the point where the Joint Commission that accredits healthcare organizations now charges institutions who are seeking certification with the responsibility for addressing undesirable behaviors.

Nurses in Massachusetts are backing a new law that will ban mandatory overtime – a strategy used by hospitals to cut costs.