Connor Works for Better Patient Care, Lower Workload for Nurses

LOCKPORT, Ill. – State Rep. John Connor, D-Lockport, is fighting for more reasonable workloads for Illinois nurses and better health care and with his support of legislation limiting how many patients nurses can be tasked with caring for at once.

“We need a health system that provides focused, effective treatment for everyone. Currently, we are overloading nurses with too many patients and reducing the quality of health care in our community,” Connor said. “This adds unnecessary complexity and increases the potential for mental lapses in emergency situations.”

Connor is backing House Bill 2604, or the Safe Patients Limits Act, which limits the patient assignments to a maximum of four in most situations, although special circumstances can change that. The National Campaign for Safe RN-to-Patient Staffing Ratios states that staffing requirements like those included in the bill increase the quality of health care hospitals can provide, lower overall costs and even save lives. The Illinois Nurses Association is a strong supporter of the bill.

“The Safe Patients Limits Act will lower the cost of patient care to hospitals, raise quality of life for patients, and give nurses a reprieve from an incredibly difficult job,” Connor said. “I’m committed to building a stronger Illinois with the best health care system in the country, and this is a big step towards making that goal a reality.”