Nevada § 449.242 - Establishment of staffing committee by certain hospitals in larger counties; membership; duty to develop documented staffing plan; duty to consider certain requests; quarterly meetings; reporting to Legislature

§ 449.242. Establishment of staffing committee by certain hospitals in larger counties; membership; duty to develop documented staffing plan; duty to consider certain requests; quarterly meetings; reporting to Legislature

1. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 4, each hospital located in a county

whose population is 100,000 or more and which is licensed to have more than 70 beds

shall establish a staffing committee to develop a written policy as required pursuant

to NRS 449.2423 and a documented staffing plan as required pursuant to NRS 449.2421 . Each staffing committee established pursuant to this subsection must consist of: (a) Not less than one-half of the total regular members of the staffing committee

from the licensed nursing staff and certified nursing assistants who are providing

direct patient care at the hospital. The members described in this paragraph must consist of: (1) One member representing each unit of the hospital who is a licensed nurse who

provides direct patient care on that unit, elected by the licensed nursing staff who

provide direct patient care on the unit that the member will represent. (2) One member representing each unit of the hospital who is a certified nursing assistant

who provides direct patient care on that unit, elected by the certified nursing assistants

who provide direct patient care on the unit that the member will represent. (b) Not less than one-half of the total regular members of the staffing committee

appointed by the administration of the hospital. (c) One alternate member representing each unit of the hospital who is a licensed

nurse or certified nursing assistant who provides direct patient care on that unit,

elected by the licensed nursing staff and certified nursing assistants who provide

direct patient care on the unit that the member represents. 2. Each time a new staffing committee is formed pursuant to subsection 1, the administration

of the hospital shall hold an election to select the members described in paragraphs

(a) and (c) of subsection 1. Each licensed nurse and certified staffing assistant who provides direct patient

care at the hospital must be allowed at least 3 days to vote for: (a) The regular member described in paragraph (a) of subsection 1 who will represent

his or her unit and profession; and (b) The alternate member described in paragraph (c) of subsection 1 who will represent

his or her unit. 3. If a vacancy occurs in a position on a staffing committee described in paragraph

(a) or (c) of subsection 1, a new regular or alternate member, as applicable, must

be elected in the same manner as his or her predecessor. 4. If a staffing committee is established for a health care facility described in

subsection 1 through collective bargaining with an employee organization representing

the licensed nursing staff and certified nursing assistants of the health care facility: (a) The health care facility is not required to form a staffing committee pursuant

to that subsection; and (b) The staffing committee established pursuant to the collective bargaining agreement

shall be deemed to be the staffing committee established for the health care facility

pursuant to subsection 1. 5. In developing the written policy and the staffing plan, the staffing committee

shall consider, without limitation, the information received pursuant to paragraph

(b) of subsection 5 of NRS 449.2423 regarding requests to be relieved of a work assignment, refusals of a work assignment

and objections to a work assignment. 6. The staffing committee of a hospital shall meet at least quarterly. 7. Each hospital that is required to establish a staffing committee pursuant to this

section shall prepare a written report concerning the establishment of the staffing

committee, the activities and progress of the staffing committee and a determination

of the efficacy of the staffing committee. The hospital shall submit the report on or before December 31 of each: (a) Even-numbered year to the Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau for transmission

to the next regular session of the Legislature. (b) Odd-numbered year to the Joint Interim Standing Committee on Health and Human

Services.