Australian College of Nursing

Hospital and Health Boards (Safe Nurse-to-Patient and Midwife-to-Patient Ratios) Amendment Bill 2015

This bill puts minimum nurse-to-patient and midwife-to-patient ratios into Queensland law for the first time. It amends the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011 so the government can legally require public hospitals to staff prescribed wards at set ratios, with the initial targets being 1 nurse or midwife for every 4 patients on day shifts and 1 for every 7 at night.