Oregon Department of Human Services OHA-PHD Hospital Nurse Staffing Update COVID-19 Impacts on Hospital Nurse Staffing

You are subscribed to OHA-PHD Hospital Nurse Staffing for Oregon Department of Human Services. This information has recently been updated, and is now available.

 

 

In response to the current hospital surge, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is pausing the nurse staffing survey cycle and nurse staffing complaint investigations for the next 30 days. Plan of Correction reviews are on-going by OHA, but hospitals may pause Plan of Correction submissions during the survey pause. OHA surveyors continue to review new nurse staffing complaints.

In addition, OHA has updated the COVID-19 Impacts on Hospital Nurse Staffing memo to clarify that hospitals operating under their facility disaster plans are not required to follow the written nurse staffing plans that were developed and approved by their Hospital Nurse Staffing Committees (HNSCs). Hospitals may suspend specific unit plans or the hospital-wide nurse staffing plan as necessary under the provisions of Oregon Revised Statute 441.165 and Oregon Administrative Rule 333-510-0140. In addition, hospitals operating under their facility disaster plans may be able to require nursing staff member overtime under the provisions of Oregon Revised Statute 441.166(8) and Oregon Administrative Rule 333-510-0130(10)(a). OHA continues to encourage HNSCs to work with the Incident Command at hospitals operating under facility disaster plans to assist planning and maintaining safe patient care.

Additional information is available in the COVID-19 Impacts on Hospital Nurse Staffing memo; and the Nurse Staffing Interpretive Guidance.

 

If you have questions about the pause or OHA’s guidance, please email mailbox.nursestaffing@state.or.us