Bill would protect nurses who raise safe-harbor concerns

Health care facilities would have to maintain a process that lets nurses invoke safe harbor. The process would cover nurses employed or contracted by the facility. A nurse could invoke safe harbor in good faith when the nurse lacks the needed skills for a safe assignment or questions whether another provider's order is medically reasonable. The nurse would generally have to invoke safe harbor before starting the conduct or assignment involved. A nurse could also invoke it during a work period if a changed assignment creates a qualifying situation. The proposed process would apply when a nurse invokes safe harbor, including before the assignment or during the work period after a qualifying assignment change.

Health care facilities and their personnel would be barred from retaliating against a nurse who makes a good-faith safe-harbor request. The protection would cover nurses who make a good-faith request and would apply to the facility and its personnel. Prohibited conduct would include bullying, retaliation, demotion, suspension, termination, discipline, discrimination and reporting the nurse to the board of nursing. The request must be made in good faith. The proposed protection would apply when a nurse makes a good-faith request for safe harbor.