Jones Backs Lighter Workload for Nurses, Improvements in Patient Care

CALUMET CITY, Ill. – State Rep. Thaddeus Jones, D-Calumet City, is working to improve health care by backing proposed legislation that will limit the number of patients nurses can be assigned, easing workloads while improving and focusing patient care.

“We should have the backs of all the nurses who play a big role in our health care system, and treat them with the respect they earn every day,” Jones said. “The contributions nurses make to the medical community help countless people, and we can’t underestimate how important it is not to overwork them. Right now, we burden nurses with too many patients, which lowers the quality of all our health care, and can even put lives at risk. It’s time for legislation to change that.”

Jones 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.

“Providing high-quality, affordable medical care is critical to building a stronger Illinois,” Jones said. “That starts with putting our health care professionals in a fair and focused environment where they can give every patient the attention they deserve. I’m confident this legislation will create a safer, more efficient medical system that works better for all Illinoisans.”