Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act of 2019

This bill requires hospitals to implement specific minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios and creates new protections for nurses who refuse assignments they deem unsafe. It also mandates that hospitals maintain transparent staffing records and provides for federal enforcement through Medicare, Medicaid, and other government health programs.

This bill would change hospital operations by legally mandating specific nurse-to-patient ratios, which could impact hospital staffing costs, patient care delivery, and the legal rights of nurses to refuse assignments, with compliance required within two to four years depending on the hospital's location.