Minnesota Hospital Association

Policy & Advocacy

Nurse staffing

Hospitals and nurses share the same goal — delivering safe patient care

Nurses, physicians, pharmacists, therapists and staff from all disciplines work together as a team to support a culture of safety. Minnesota’s hospitals value the important and trusted role our nurses play in providing high-quality care. Every day, nurse leaders work with bedside and charge nurses to appropriately staff units based on individual patient needs and on the training, experience and capabilities of the care team.   

View MHA’s nurse staffing fact sheet for additional information.   

View FAQs on nurse staffing.   

Nurse staffing plan resources

Legislators, hospitals and the nurses’ union worked hard in 2013 to develop a lasting compromise that would provide for greater transparency and reporting of nurse staffing levels in Minnesota hospitals. Under the Nurse Staffing Plan Disclosure Act, staffing plans are shared with key hospital employees and annual nurse staffing plans are publicly posted on MHA’s quality website, www.mnhospitalquality.org. Hospitals are required to report on a quarterly basis how their actual nurse staffing levels and patient census compared to their nurse staffing plans. This information has been posted online since July 1, 2014, and is updated quarterly. Key data points available include average number of patients per 24-hour period and worked hours per patient day.