FL H0377

Requires each hospital licensed in Florida to establish a nurse staffing collaborative council by September 1, 2010, either as a new council or by assigning functions to an existing committee.

Council membership shall be determined by the chief nursing executive and must include nurses currently providing direct patient care.

Council shall develop and oversee an annual, shift-based nurse staffing plan based on patient needs, considering factors including patient census, acuity levels, skill mix, staff education and experience, unit layout, and national nursing organization guidelines.

Chief nurse executive must communicate and collaborate with the council to ensure safe implementation of the staffing plan, and the council must conduct semiannual reviews using nursing-sensitive quality indicators.

Staffing plan must be reviewed annually with nursing personnel in each patient care area and made available to the community upon request.