Groups representing hospitals and nurses have split on how minimum staffing ratios for psychiatric hospitals in California should be implemented, the San Francisco Chronicle reported June 11.
In April, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he planned to use emergency regulations to establish nurse-to-patient ratios for freestanding psychiatric hospitals.
Adopting staffing regulations is a “top priority” for the California Department of Public Health, the Chronicle reported. The department anticipates finalizing regulations by January 2026.
Here are five things to know:
- The California Nurses Association has proposed requiring one registered nurse for every six patients in adult psychiatric units and requiring one registered nurse for every four patients in adolescent units.
- The California Hospital Association, which represents 32 freestanding psychiatric hospitals in the state, proposed a one-to-six ratio for adult units and a one-to-five staffing ratio for adolescents. The organization has proposed that only half of these workers need to be nurses, including registered or licensed vocational nurses. The other workers could be licensed psychiatric technicians or unlicensed mental health workers.
- Current staffing ratios in California only apply to inpatient psychiatric units in acute care hospitals. In these units, there must be two registered nurses and two licensed vocational nurses or psychiatric technicians for every 24 patients.
- The California Nurses Association contends that only registered nurses are qualified to care for complex psychiatric patients and reliance on unlicensed mental health workers has led to patient safety risks.
- The California Hospital Association argued that allowing a mix of registered nurses and other technicians to count toward staffing ratios follows industry best practices. The hospitals also contend that requiring additional nurses during a nursing shortage could place additional financial strain on hospitals and lead to the closure of psychiatric beds.
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