Many nurses are celebrating ten years of mandatory nurse-to-patient ratios in the state of California. It was the first state to successfully pass such a law and taught the nation many things about mandating nurse staffing ratios. While many registered nurses see it as a saving grace, allowing them to spend more time with their patients, others believe the law has not been a success. Like many things in life, there is a give and take, and this law is no exception. Mixed feelings in the nursing community are not apparent as to whether mandatory nurse-to-patient ratios really are the savior once thought. Work toward mandatory nurse-to-patient ratios began in 1999, with the passage of California Assembly Bill 394. was the first of its kind and set very specific parameters for staffing. It was not until 2004 that the final bill was passed, mandating a 1:5 nurse-to-patient ratio in medical-surgical units. This bill did not pass easily as Governor Schwarzenegger attempted to delay it, citing state financial problems. Ultimately, the California Nurses Association filed a lawsuit that overturned its decision (Tevington, 2011). The passage of Bill 394 was seen at the time as a victory for many nurses. “Kathy Dennis, a registered nurse at Mercy General Hospital, remembers seeing between eight and ten patients, with only a licensed professional nurse to assist her (Ratios, 2013). » The days when there were eight to ten patients per nurse are long gone, there are now only four to five. Assigning fewer patients gave RNs the opportunity to feel more proactive in caring for their patients rather than reactive. This allows the RN to have time to fully educate the... middle of document ...... technical evidence that patient outcomes increase with a decrease in nurse to patient ratio as well as in bringing the right people to the table to determine the right ratios to mandate. Even if a ratio works very well for one hospital, it may not work well for another that has a higher population of critically ill patients. Obviously, it's difficult to decide whether mandatory nurse-to-patient ratios are the right thing to pursue, but it's clear that more research needs to be done and there's clearly an opportunity to actively speak out by voting or participating in a committee. and now. (2013). National Nurse, 109(8), 12-15.Shekelle, P.G. (2013). Nurse-patient ratios as a patient safety strategy. Annals of Internal Medicine, 158404-409 Tevington, P. (2011). Professional problems. Mandatory nurse-patient ratios.MEDSURG Nursing, 20(5), 265-268.