Laws, rules and administration of hospital staffing in Oregon
On this page:
View reports from nurse staffing surveys and hospital staffing complaint investigations
Hospital Staffing Information
OHA is creating a variety of resources to provide information and answer questions about hospital staffing laws following the passage of HB 2697. OHA will use the hospital staffing listservs to announce new resources as they become available.
OHA has hosted a Hospital Staffing Webinars about the new law: on May 3, 2024.
Dashboard of Hospital Staffing Complaints Received Since Sep 1, 2023
Updated October 8, 2024
Administrative Rules
OHA has issued permanent administrative rules, effective May 15, 2024, to implement House Bill 2697, now codified under Oregon Revised Statues 441.760 - 441.795. Additional information on the rulemaking activity and the Rulemaking Advisory Committee can be found under Rulemaking Advisory Committees In Progress at www.healthoregon.org/hcrqirules.
Oregon Administrative Rules Chapter 333, Division 503, Hospital Staffing, includes:
Hospital staffing laws
Oregon's nurse staffing laws are found in
Oregon Revised Statues 441.760 - 441.795.
HCRQI and HFLC
Health Care Regulation and Quality Improvement (HCRQI)
HCRQI oversees the implementation of hospital staffing laws in Oregon.
Health Facility Licensing and Certification (HFLC)
HFLC licenses hospitals in Oregon. HFLC staff support the Nurse Staffing Advisory Board (NSAB) and HFLC's Surveyor and Certification program is responsible for hospital staffing complaint investigations pursuant to Oregon statutes. HFLC staff work together to provide guidance to hospitals and hospital staff members throughout Oregon. HFLC also maintains a list of hospital staffing committee co-chairs and chief nursing officers. Hospitals should submit a
change form if the hospital staffing committee co-chairs or chief nursing officer changes.
Join our Listserv
The OHA Hospital Nurse Staffing Listserv is used to send announcements and information regarding hospital nurse staffing rules and related events put on by the Health Facility Licensing and Certification Program. OHA will be creating listservs for professional/technical staffing and services staffing shortly.
Select
Join our Listserv to get started.
NSAB
The Nurse Staffing Advisory Board (NSAB) is a 12-member board of hospital nurse managers, direct care registered nurses, and a direct care staff member. The OHA has create an
NSAB FAQ (pdf) for direct care nursing staff members and nurse managers to learn more about the Oregon NSAB and how to apply for membership.
NSAB Members (pdf) are charged with
- Providing advice to the Oregon Health Authority on the administration of Oregon's nurse staffing laws;
- Identifying trends, opportunities and concerns related to nurse staffing;
- Making recommendations to the Oregon Health Authority on the basis of those trends, opportunities and concerns;
- Reviewing the enforcement powers and processes under Oregon's nurse staffing laws.
The NSAB submits an annual report to the legislature on the administration of Oregon's nurse staffing laws.
NSAB Meeting Schedule
Upcoming Meetings | Location | Agenda / Packet
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Date/Time |
Agenda / Packet
| Minutes (Recordings available on request) |
July 31, 2024
| July 2024 Packet (pdf) |
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April 17, 2024
| April 2024 Packet (pdf)
| April 2024 Minutes (pdf)
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January 31, 2024
| January 2024 Packet (pdf)
| January 2024 Minutes (pdf)
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October 25, 2023
| October 2023 Packet (pdf)
| October 2023 Minutes (pdf)
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July 26, 2023
| July 2023 Packet (pdf)
| July 2023 Minutes (pdf)
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June 12, 2023 Rules Review Committee
| June 2023 Rules Review Committee Packet (pdf) | |
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April 26, 2023
| April 2023 Packet (pdf)
| April 2023 Minutes (pdf)
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April 14, 2023 Rules Review Committee
| April 2023 Rules Review Committee Packet (pdf)
| |
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March 24, 2023 Rules Review Committee
| March 2023 Rules Review Committee Packet (pdf)
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March 8, 2023 Rules Review Committee
| March 2023 Rules Review Committee Packet (pdf)
| |
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February 10, 2023 Rules Review Committee
| February 2023 Rules Review Committee Packet (pdf)
| |
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January 25, 2023
| January 2023 Packet (pdf)
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January 18, 2023 Rules Review Committee
| January 2023 Rules Review Committee Packet (pdf)
| January 2023 Minutes (pdf)
|
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December 7, 2022 Rules Review Committee
| December 2022 Rules Review Committee Packet (pdf)
|
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December 2, 2022
| December 2022 Packet (pdf)
| December 2022 Minutes (pdf)
|
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November 29, 2022 Rules Review Committee
| November 2022 Rules Review Committee Packet (pdf)
| |
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October 26, 2022
| October 2022 Packet (pdf)
| October 2022 Minutes (pdf)
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September 14, 2022 Rules Review Committee
| September 2022 Rules Review Committee Packet (pdf)
| |
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August 10, 2022 Civil Monetary Penalty Committee
| August 2022 Civil Monetary Penalty Committee Packet (pdf) | |
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July 27, 2022
| July 2022 Packet (pdf) | July 2022 Minutes (pdf)
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June 8, 2022 Civil Monetary Penalty Committee
| June 2022 Civil Monetary Penalty Committee Packet (pdf)
| |
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April 27, 2022
| April 2022 Packet (pdf)
| April 2022 Minutes (pdf) |
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January 26, 2022 | January 2022 Packet (pdf)
| January 2022 Minutes (pdf) |
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November 19, 2021 Civil Monetary Penalty Committee | November 19, 2021 Civil Monetary Penalty Committee Packet (pdf) | |
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November 9, 2021
| November 2021 Agenda (pdf)
| November 2021 Minutes (pdf) |
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November 1, 2021 Civil Monetary Penalty Committee | November 1, 2021 Civil Monetary Penalty Committee Packet (pdf) | |
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October 27, 2021 | October 2021 Packet (pdf) | October 2021 Minutes (pdf) |
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October 22, 2021 Rules Committee | October 2021 Rules Committee Packet (pdf) | |
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October 1, 2021 Civil Monetary Penalty Committee | October 2021 Civil Monetary Penalty Committee Packet (pdf) | |
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September 30, 2021 Rules Committee | September 2021 Rules Committee Agenda (pdf) | |
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September 10, 2021 Civil Monetary Penalty Committee | September 2021 Civil Monetary Penalty Committee Agenda (pdf) | |
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September 9, 2021
| September 2021 Agenda (pdf) | September 2021 Minutes (pdf) |
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July 28, 2021
| July 2021 Agenda (pdf) | July 2021 Minutes (pdf) |
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July 26, 2021 Civil Monetary Penalty Committee
| July 2021 Committee Agenda (pdf) | |
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April 28, 2021
| April 2021 Agenda (pdf)
| April 2021 Minutes (pdf) |
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January 27, 2021
| January 2021 Agenda (pdf) | January 2021 Minutes (pdf) |
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December 9, 2020 | December 2020 Agenda (pdf) | December 2020 Minutes (pdf) |
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October 28, 2020 | October 2020 Agenda (pdf)
| October 2020 Minutes (pdf) |
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October 21, 2020 Process Improvement Committee
| October 2020 Committee Agenda (pdf) | |
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October 7, 2020
| October 2020 Committee Agenda (pdf)
| |
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August 21, 2020 Process Improvement Committee | August 2020 Committee Agenda (pdf) | |
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July 29, 2020
| July 2020 Agenda (pdf)
| July 2020 Minutes (pdf) |
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July 22, 2020 - Process Improvement Committee
| July 2020 Committee Agenda (pdf)
| |
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April 29, 2020 |
April 2020 Agenda (pdf) | April 2020 Minutes (pdf) |
February 26, 2020 |
February 2020 Agenda (pdf) | February 2020 Minutes (pdf) |
January 8, 2020 - Overtime Committee |
January 2020 Committee Agenda (pdf) | |
January 6, 2020 - Acuity Committee |
January 2020 Committee Agenda (pdf) | |
November 20, 2019 |
November 2019 Agenda (pdf) | November 2019 Minutes (pdf) |
August 28, 2019 |
August 2019 Agenda (pdf) | August 2019 Minutes (pdf) |
July 24, 2019 |
July 2019 Agenda (pdf) | |
July 9, 2019 - Overtime Committee |
July 2019 Committee Agenda (pdf) | |
May 22, 2019 |
May 2019 Agenda (pdf) | May 2019 Minutes (pdf) |
May 3, 2019 - Acuity Committee |
May 2019 Committee Agenda (pdf) | |
April 8, 2019 - Total Diagnosis Committee |
April 2019 Committee Agenda (pdf) | |
February 27, 2019 |
February 2019 Agenda (pdf) | February 2019 Minutes (pdf) |
December 27, 2018 - Acuity Committee |
December 2018 Committee Agenda (pdf) | |
November 29, 2018
|
November 2018 Agenda (pdf) | November 2018 Minutes (pdf) |
August 29, 2018 |
August 2018 Agenda (pdf) | August 2018 Minutes (pdf) |
August 3, 2018 |
August 2018 Committee Agenda (pdf) | |
May 30, 2018 |
May 2018 Agenda (pdf) | May 2018 Minutes (pdf) |
May 4, 2018 - SurveyMonkey Committee |
May 2018 Committee Agenda (pdf) | |
February 28, 2018 |
February 2018 Agenda (pdf) | February 2018 Minutes (pdf) |
November 29, 2017 |
November 2017 Agenda (pdf) | November 2017 Minutes (pdf) |
August 30, 2017 |
August 2017 Agenda (pdf) | August 2017 Minutes (pdf) |
May 31, 2017 |
May 2017 Agenda (pdf) | May 2017 Minutes (pdf) |
February 22, 2017 |
February 2017 Agenda (pdf) | February 2017 Minutes (pdf) |
November 30, 2016 |
November 2016 Agenda (pdf) | November 2016 Minutes (pdf) |
August 31, 2016 |
August 2016 Agenda (pdf) | August 2016 Minutes (pdf) |
May 25, 2016 |
May 2016 Agenda (pdf) | May 2016 Minutes (pdf) |
February 24, 2016 |
February 2016 Agenda (pdf) | February 2016 Minutes (pdf) |
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Variances and Waivers
Nurse Staffing Variances
Under ORS 441.763(6), a hospital may vary from requirements related to staffing ratios for direct care registered nurses if:
- The hospital is a
Type A or Type B hospital;
- The requirement being varied is in ORS 441.765;
- The nurse staffing committee has voted to approved the variance; and
- The Co-Chairs of the nurse staffing committee submit a signed statement to OHA that the nurse staffing committee voted to approve the variance.
Hospital Staffing Waivers
HFLC may waive one or more of the staffing plan requirements if the waiver is necessary to ensure that the hospital is staffed to meet the health care needs of its patients.
Waiver requests must
- Be submitted in writing;
- State the reason the hospital is seeking the waiver;
- Explain how the waiver is necessary for the hospital to meet patient health care needs; and
- Include verification that the hospital nurse staffing committee has been notified of the request for waiver.
Hospitals can use the
Hospital Staffing Waiver Request Form (pdf) to prepare the written request.
Hospital Staffing Complaint Process
HFLC staff will be developing new tools for hospital staffing complaint investigations to align with the bases for noncompliance citations specified in Oregon Revised Statute 441.792.
- OHA surveyors review complaints sent to the OHA and seek any additional information they need. Once surveyors have a completed complaint intake, OHA
- Provides a copy of the complaint to the staff member's Exclusive Representative
- Notifies the hospital, staffing committee co-chairs, and Exclusive Representative of the pending complaint;
- Receives documentation regarding the allegations from the hospital; and
- Conducts an investigation within 80 days;
- Investigations include review of relevant records and interviews of any person(s) deemed necessary to determine compliance;
- After an investigation, OHA sends the hospital, the staffing committee co-chairs, and the Exclusive Representative a written report that explains any hospital staffing concerns found during the investigation. OHA will be able to assess civil monetary penalties for violations that occur on or after June 1, 2025; and
- OHA maintains and posts complaint reports online (see below).
NOTE: The Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries (BOLI) enforces the laws related to meal and rest break complaints. Before June 1, 2025, meal and rest break complaints are subject to the limitations in
ORS 653.261 and
OAR 839-020-0050. You may file a complaint about missed meal and rest breaks directly with BOLI through the
BOLI Complaint Resolution Center Hospital Staffing Plan Submission & Posting
Oregon's hospital staffing law requires hospitals to submit Nurse Staffing Plans, Professional/Technical Staffing Plans, and Services Staffing Plans to OHA within 30 days of approval by the staffing committee.
Hospitals may submit their approved plans through OHA's online
Hospital Staffing Plan Submission Form.
NOTE: OHA is currently receiving a high volume of staffing plan submissions. Submitted staffing plans will be posted to this page within five business days of receipt.
Under ORS 441.766(3), a hospital Nurse Staffing Committee may submit certain Nurse Staffing Plans to OHA for arbitration if a plan is not adopted after a 60-day deliberation period.
Click here to submit your request for a list of arbitrators.
View Reports from Nurse Staffing Surveys and Hospital Staffing Complaint Investigations
Listed below are reports generated from nurse staffing surveys and hospital staffing complaint investigations.
- You can search this listing by facility name, city, county or zip code.
TIP: Start typing in the search box to filter the list.
- All documents are in PDF format.
Annual Summary Reports
If you need any of these documents in large print, please contact us:
Phone: 971-673-0540
Fax: 971-673-0556
TTY: 711