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Hospital Nurse Staffing

Laws, rules and administration of hospital nurse staffing in Oregon

On this page:

View reports from nurse staffing surveys and complaint investigations

Nurse Staffing Resources

OHA has created a variety of resources to provide information and answer questions about new nurse staffing laws and rules. As part of this outreach OHA hosted three Open House Webinar events and each session has been archived here for later viewing. OHA has also put together an FAQ and specific guidance regarding the Plans of Correction that hospitals must submit after receiving a survey or complaint investigation report.

Resource & Links
Fall 2022 Webinar Series 
Archived Open House Webcasts
Survey tools and Guidance

Interpretive Guidance
Plan of Correction Guidance

Administrative Rules

2015 and 2021 statutory changes necessitated changes to the nurse staffing administrative rules. OHA amended the rules and the administrative rules went into effect on July 1, 2016, January 23, 2017, and January 1, 2022.

Oregon Administrative Rules Chapter 333, Division 501 includes:

Oregon Administrative Rules Chapter 333, Division 510 includes:

Nurse staffing laws

Oregon's nurse staffing laws are found in Oregon Revised Statues 441.152 - 441.192. These laws reflect changes that resulted from Senate Bill 469 (SB 469), which the Oregon legislature passed in 2015 after working with a coalition of direct care nurses and hospitals to improve the nurse staffing laws.

The significant changes in 2015 were:

  • Established composition and activities of Hospital Nurse Staffing Committees (HNSC);
  • Provided factors for HNSCs to consider when formulating nurse staffing plans;
  • Required mediation when HNSC cannot agree on nurse staffing plan;
  • Clarified hospital record-keeping requirements;
  • Created statewide Nurse Staffing Advisory Board (NSAB);
  • Implemented timelines for OHA nurse staffing complaint investigations;
  • Increased frequency of OHA nurse staffing audits; and
  • Clarified OHA posting requirements for public records.

Additional information about SB 469 and OHA's implementation activities (pdf) 

HCRQI and HFLC

Health Care Regulation and Quality Improvement (HCRQI)

HCRQI oversees the implementation of nurse 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 is responsible for nurse staffing surveys and complaint investigations pursuant to Oregon statutes and administrative rules. HFLC staff work together to provide guidance to hospitals and nursing staff members throughout Oregon. HFLC also maintains a list of hospital nurse staffing committee co-chairs and chief nursing officers in order to provide notice in advance of nurse staffing audits. Hospitals should submit a change form (pdf) if the hospital nurse staffing committee co-chairs or chief nursing officer changes.

Join our Listserv

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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.

Select Join our Listserv to get started.

Waivers

HFLC may waive one or more of the staffing plan requirements in OAR 333-510-0110 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 Nurse Staffing Waiver Request Form (pdf) to prepare the written request.

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 LocationAgenda / Packet
Monday, June 12, 2023 Rules Review Committee
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Zoom (Register here)
June 2023 Rules Review Committee Packet (pdf)
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Zoom (Register here)

Wednesday, October 25, 2023
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM


Date/Time Agenda / Packet
Minutes (Recordings
available on request)
​April 26, 2023
April 2023 Packet (pdf)
​April 14, 2023 Rules Review Committee
April 2023 Rules Review Committee Packet (pdf)
​March 24, 2023 Rules Review Committee
March 2023 Rules Review Committee Packet (pdf)
​March 8, 2023 Rules Review Committee
March 2023 Rules Review Committee Packet (pdf)
​February 10, 2023 Rules Review Committee
February 2023 Rules Review Committee Packet (pdf)
​January 25, 2023
January 2023 Packet (pdf)
​January 18, 2023 Rules Review Committee
January 2023 Rules Review Committee Packet (pdf)
January 2023 Minutes (pdf)
​December 7, 2022 Rules Review Committee
December 2022 Rules Review Committee Packet (pdf)

​December 2, 2022
December 2022 Packet (pdf)
December 2022 Minutes (pdf)
November 29, 2022 Rules Review Committee
November 2022 Rules Review Committee Packet (pdf)
​October 26, 2022
October 2022 Packet (pdf)
October 2022 Minutes (pdf)
​September 14, 2022 Rules Review Committee
September 2022 Rules Review Committee Packet (pdf)
August 10, 2022 Civil Monetary Penalty Committee
August 2022 Civil Monetary Penalty Committee Packet (pdf)​
​July 27, 2022
July 2022 Packet (pdf)​July 2022 Minutes (pdf)
​June 8, 2022 Civil Monetary Penalty Committee
June 2022 Civil Monetary Penalty Committee Packet (pdf)
​April 27, 2022
​April 2022 Packet (pdf)
April 2022 Minutes (pdf)
January 26, 2022​January 2022 Packet (pdf)
January 2022 Minutes (pdf)
​November 19, 2021 Civil Monetary Penalty CommitteeNovember 19, 2021 Civil Monetary Penalty Committee Packet (pdf)
​November 9, 2021
November 2021 Agenda (pdf)
November 2021 Minutes (pdf)
​November 1, 2021 Civil Monetary Penalty CommitteeNovember 1, 2021 Civil Monetary Penalty Committee Packet (pdf)
​October 27, 2021October 2021 Packet (pdf)October 2021 Minutes (pdf)
​October 22, 2021 Rules CommitteeOctober 2021 Rules Committee Packet (pdf)
​October 1, 2021 Civil Monetary Penalty CommitteeOctober 2021 Civil Monetary Penalty Committee Packet (pdf)
​September 30, 2021 Rules CommitteeSeptember 2021 Rules Committee Agenda (pdf)
September 10, 2021 Civil Monetary Penalty CommitteeSeptember 2021 Civil Monetary Penalty Committee Agenda (pdf)
​September 9, 2021
September 2021 Agenda (pdf)​September 2021 Minutes (pdf)​
​July 28, 2021
July 2021 Agenda (pdf)​July 2021 Minutes (pdf)
​July 26, 2021 Civil Monetary Penalty Committee
July 2021 Committee Agenda (pdf)​
​April 28,  2021
April 2021 Agenda (pdf)​

April 2021 Minutes (pdf)
​January 27, 2021
January 2021 Agenda (pdf)January 2021 Minutes (pdf)
December 9, 2020​December 2020 Agenda (pdf)December 2020 Minutes (pdf)​
October 28, 2020​October 2020 Agenda (pdf)
October 2020 Minutes (pdf)
​October 21, 2020 Process Improvement Committee
October 2020 Committee Agenda (pdf)​
​October 7, 2020
October 2020 Committee Agenda (pdf)
​August 21, 2020
Process Improvement Committee
August 2020 Committee Agenda (pdf)
​July 29, 2020
July 2020 Agenda (pdf)
July 2020 Minutes (pdf)
​July 22, 2020 - Process Improvement Committee
July 2020 Committee Agenda (pdf)
​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)

Nurse Staffing Survey Process

Since 2017

HFLC staff uses a standardized survey process intended to evaluate hospital compliance with the rules related to nurse staffing. Hospitals are be randomly selected for survey from the list of hospitals licensed in the state of Oregon.

  • Each hospital is audited once every three years to assess nurse staffing compliance;
  • Audits include review of relevant records, interviews of both Hospital Nurse Staffing Committee (HNSC) co-chairs, and interviews of any other person(s) deemed necessary to determine compliance;
  • Hospitals keep and maintain records that demonstrate compliance;
  • After an audit, OHA sends the hospital and the HNSC co-chairs a written report that explains any nurse staffing concerns found during the survey. A hospital submits a plan of correction to address any concerns noted in the OHA's report. Once a plan of correction is approved, OHA will revisit the hospital within 60 days to determine compliance; and
  • OHA maintains and posts audit reports online (see below).

Nurse Staffing Complaint Process

Since 2017

HFLC staff uses tools developed in the audit process to investigate specific nurse staffing complaints.

  • OHA surveyors review complaints sent to the OHA and seek any additional information they need. Once surveyors have a completed complaint intake, they conduct an onsite investigation within 60 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 and the HNSC co-chairs a written report that explains any nurse staffing concerns found during the investigation. A hospital submits a plan of correction to address any concerns noted in the OHA's report. Once a plan of correction is approved, OHA will revisit the hospital within 60 days to determine compliance; and
  • OHA maintains and posts complaint reports online (see below).

View Reports from Nurse Staffing Surveys and Complaint Investigations

Listed below are reports generated from nurse staffing surveys and 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




2022 (pdf)
2021 (pdf)
2012 (pdf)
2020 (pdf)
2011 (pdf)
2019 (pdf)
2010 (pdf)
2018 (pdf)
2009 (pdf)
2017 (pdf)
2008 (pdf)
2016 (pdf)
2006-2007 (pdf)
2015 (pdf)
2005 (pdf)
2014 (pdf)
2004 (pdf)
2013 (pdf)
2003 (pdf)




If you have questions about hospital nurse staffing, please email us: mailbox.nursestaffing@odhsoha.oregon.gov
 
If you need any of these documents in large print, please contact us:
Phone: 971-673-0540
Fax: 971-673-0556
TTY: 711