The Washington House today [Wednesday] said yes to a bill that would improve nurses’ working conditions at hospitals and other health care facilities.
The legislation provides uninterrupted rest breaks and meals for registered and licensed practical nurses, except in certain cases. It also forbids hospitals and others from mandating that nurses work overtime.
“This is an important bill for patient protection and worker fairness and it’s been a long trip to get here. We’ve passed it out of this body five years in a row,” said the bill's prime sponsor, Rep. Marcus Riccelli (D-Spokane).
And now with Democrats in control of the state Senate, it has passed that body on Wednesday as well.
The bill was amended to give health care facilities an extra year to prepare for this. Critical access hospitals in rural communities were given until 2021.
Rep. Joe Schmick (R-Colfax) says only one nurse in the six hospitals in his district has complained about working conditions. Meanwhile, he says hospitals will incur hundreds of thousands of dollars in extra costs.
“These things that we do here do make a difference in the overall cost of care. I do believe that this should be bargained at each hospital on a local basis and, for those reasons, I will be voting no,” he said.
Schmick was in the minority. The bill passed by a 70-24 vote in the House. It now goes to the governor.