The State of California seems to have come up with a novel way to lure registered nurses to their state - improve the work environment for nurses.
In 2004, a law was passed in California regulating the patient-nurse ratio - the law limits the amount of patients that can be assigned to each nurse. This seems so obvious, it’s astounding that every state in the country does not already have this as a law, but many don’t. Of course, when a nurse is assigned too many patients, the patients health and safety is at risk, the nurse’s stress level and job dissatisfaction rises, and the turnover rate of the nursing staff is much higher.
This means that the nurses with experience leave, which means patients are going to be cared for by less-experienced nurses.
But since this law passed in California, 80,000 new registered nurses have come to work there. Other states which are struggling with nursing shortages should take heed.