Minnesota Hospital Association Fighting Against ‘Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act’

(KNSI) – The Minnesota Hospital Association held a press conference Thursday warning of dire consequences if the state legislature passes the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act.

The bill would mandate staffing requirements and set up committees to ensure compliance. MHA President and Chief Executive Officer Rahul Koranne says healthcare facilities are already doing everything they can to address the labor shortage but 5,000 open RN positions still remain.

“Minnesota ranks second in the country when it comes to registered nurse pay. That just doesn’t happen by happenstance. The hospitals and healthcare systems are working very hard to recruit, to pay benefits to pay competitively, and we’re one of the highest in the country when it comes to providing salaries to our registered nurses.”

Fifty-seven percent of registered nurses now work part-time, exacerbating the shortfall. Officials say the trend won’t change due to legislative mandates. Koranne adds that most Minnesota hospitals are already losing money and the proposed legislation could push some to close entirely.

Andrew Berndt, vice president of neonatal and critical care services at Children’s Minnesota, says vital specialized teams would be the first to disappear.

“The units that are hardest to staff are some of our most critical to the community. This includes the pediatric ICU, the PICU inpatient mental health in St. Paul, and our cardiovascular ICU and NICU in Minneapolis. If we are legally bound to staffing levels, we will have to immediately decrease beds in these units or close them entirely.”

Those groups treat patients from across the state who have to be transferred in from rural hospitals unequipped to provide the unique care needed.

Mayo Clinic has threatened to cancel a billion-dollar expansion unless it is exempt from staffing requirements. It says its own software already positions it to have the right number of people working. Adam Karlen, clinical nursing director critical care and respiratory therapy at Methodist Hospital, says many facilities also similar software, known as Acuity.

“My hospital has utilized an Acuity software tool since 2017 and this software has been available for charge nurses and nurse leaders to guide real-time adjustments and patient assignments.”

Another aspect of the act that has drawn concern is the ability of nurses to refuse to care for patients.

Karlan and several other participants in the virtual conference said the exemption should apply to everyone. They say the issue highlights flaws in the bill.

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