The proposed bill amends Arizona Revised Statutes to establish specific minimum direct care staff-to-resident ratios for nursing care institutions. Under the new law, during the day shift, there must be one certified nurse aide for every eight residents, one direct care staff member for every ten residents during the evening shift (with at least half being certified nurse aides), and one direct care staff member for every fourteen residents during the night shift, with all staff signing in as certified nurse aides and performing their duties. Additionally, if a nursing care institution expands its resident census, it is exempt from increasing staffing ratios for nine consecutive shifts following the expansion.

The bill also clarifies that the computation of staffing ratios will be rounded to the next whole number when necessary and is based on the midnight census. It specifies that these minimum staffing ratios do not apply to pediatric long-term care facilities and do not affect other staffing requirements for non-direct care staff. Furthermore, the definition of "direct care staff member" is expanded to include registered nurses and licensed practical nurses, in addition to certified nurse aides.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 36-447.03