ORS 441.761 Nurse Staffing Advisory Board

The Nurse Staffing Advisory Board is established within the Oregon Health Authority, consisting of 12 members appointed by the Governor.

Of the 12 members of the board:

Six must be hospital nurse managers;

Five must be direct care registered nurses who work in hospitals; and

One must be either a direct care registered nurse who works in a hospital or a direct care staff member who is not a registered nurse and whose services are covered by a written hospital-wide staffing plan that meets the requirements of ORS 441.763.

To the extent practicable, board members shall be appointed to ensure that the board is represented by members from hospitals where direct care staff are represented under a collective bargaining agreement and hospitals where direct care staff are not represented by a collective bargaining agreement and by hospitals of different sizes, types and geographic location.

The term of office of each board member is three years, but a member serves at the pleasure of the Governor. Before the expiration of the term of a member, the Governor shall appoint a successor whose term begins January 1 next following. A member is eligible for reappointment, but may not serve more than two consecutive terms. If there is a vacancy for any cause, the Governor shall make an appointment to become immediately effective for the unexpired term.

The board shall:

Provide advice to the authority on the administration of ORS 441.761 to 441.795;

Identify trends, opportunities and concerns related to nurse staffing;

Make recommendations to the authority on the basis of those trends, opportunities and concerns; and

Review the authority’s enforcement powers and processes under ORS 441.783 and 441.791.

Upon request, the authority shall provide the board with written hospital-wide staffing plans implemented under ORS 441.763, reviews conducted under ORS 441.764 and complaints filed and investigations conducted as described in ORS 441.791.

The authority may not provide the board with any information under paragraph (a) of this subsection that is identifiable with a specific hospital unless the information is publicly available.

Hospital-wide staffing plans provided to the board under this section are confidential and not subject to public disclosure.

A majority of the members of the board constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business.

The board shall have two cochairs selected by the Governor. One cochair shall be a hospital nurse manager and one cochair shall be a direct care registered nurse.

Official action by the board requires the approval of a majority of the members of the board.

The board shall meet:

At least once every three months; and

At any time and place specified by the call of both cochairs.

The board may adopt rules necessary for the operation of the board.

The board shall submit a report on the administration of ORS 441.761 to 441.795 in the manner provided in ORS 192.245 to an interim committee of the Legislative Assembly related to health no later than September 15 of each year. The board may include in its report recommendations for legislation.

Members of the board are not entitled to compensation, but may be reimbursed for actual and necessary travel and other expenses incurred by them in the performance of their official duties in the manner and amounts provided for in ORS 292.495. Claims for expenses shall be paid out of funds appropriated to the authority for purposes of the board.