Nurse Staffing Information

Under the Hospital Report Card Act (“Act”) hospitals, including Anderson Hospital, are obligated as of January 1, 2004, to share their nurse staff schedules, actual nurse assignment rosters, the methods to determine and adjust staffing levels, and staff training information with consumers upon request.

Accordingly, the following information is available to the public upon request:

Nursing assignment rosters
Nursing schedules for each inpatient unit
Methodology to determine and adjust nurse staffing levels
Information on staff training and orientation

Persons requesting information under the Act must follow these general guidelines:

A. Any individual or business interest consuming health care services, or considering consuming health care services, may request information at any time by any reasonable means (written, verbal, telephone, e-mail, or on-site requests).

B. All disclosures by the hospital will be in accordance with the provisions for disclosure and protection of information under the Act and shall not contain information identifying a patient, employee, or licensed professional.

C. Responses should be in keeping with a "reasonable person" approach and cause minimal disruption to patient care.

D. Each unit or department will maintain staff schedules, assignment rosters, staffing methodologies and training information for five years.

E. Facility Response

1. For requests related to an individual person’s pending or current inpatient hospital stay: (These requests should be forwarded to the respective Unit Directors, Assistant Directors, or House Supervisors. The Chief Nursing Officer and the Administrative Director of Nursing are also available).

a) The current nurse staff schedule may be requested at any time and will be made available within two hours after the request.

b) The current actual nurse staffing roster may be requested at any time and will be made available within two (2) hours after the request during normal business hours during the week and with four (4) hours on weekends and evening hours.

2. For requests unrelated to an individual person’s pending or current inpatient hospital stay:

a) Requests to view other nurse staffing records, including methods to determine and adjust staffing levels, historical records, and records in off-site storage, may be submitted Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 pm. in the Nursing Administration Office. Anderson Hospital will comply within seven (7) business days of the receipt of the request. These records will be made available in the Nursing Administration Conference Room. The consumer may inspect documents on-site. No hard copies will be given.

b) If unable to provide the requested records in the time frame required, Anderson Hospital will notify the individual making the request of the reason for delay and a date that the request can be satisfied.

F. Information available for viewing by the public:

1. Nurse Staffing

a) Actual nurse/caregiver assignment roster-- the current nursing staff as assigned to patients in each unit at a given point in time.

b) A schedule that prospectively plans nursing care made out in advance (monthly unit schedules) that reflects the average daily census

c) Unit description of staffing pattern, skill mix, method of care delivery, and contingency plan.

d) Departmental staffing guidelines/methodology for adjusting staffing based on patient acuity, staff competencies, and unit needs.

e) Public access to nurse staffing information through one or more communication channels (on the hospital website, patient education materials).

2. Orientation and Training

a) There is evidence that the hospital has established an orientation and training process that assesses an individual's competency to fulfill specified responsibilities. Personnel lacking the competencies to work a given unit, are not assigned to work there without direct supervision until appropriately trained.

b) The following documents are available for review:

1) Hospital, departmental, and unit-specific orientation plans.

2) Unit-specific initial and ongoing competency checklists.

3) Unit-specific Standards for Continuing Education and Certification.

4) Staff training information without any information identifying a patient, employee, or licensed professional at the hospital.

For more information on the Illinois Hospital Report Card Act, visit the Illinois Hospital Association Web site.