Ballot measure to regulate nursing ratios would be costly, report finds

There's new fuel in the fight over a Massachusetts ballot measure that would regulate nurse-patient ratios in hospitals. The ballot question — written by the Massachusetts Nurses Association — would cap the number of patients a nurse is responsible for, with levels depending on the hospital unit. The Boston Globe reports that an independent analysis found that hospitals would need to hire as many as 3,100 full-time nurses to comply — costing more than $900 million a year. It would have a particularly big impact on community hospitals, psychiatric units, and labor and delivery wards. The two sides have poured more than $14 million total into campaigning on the measure.