FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FEBRUARY 14, 2019
Contact: Yvette Perez (505)986-4882
SENATE PASSES “SAFE HARBOR FOR NURSES ACT” IN 40-0 BIPARTISAN VOTE
Santa Fe, NM–In a unanimous vote, the New Mexico Senate has passed a bill that would require health care facilities to offer protection to registered or licensed practical nurses who are asked to engage in practices that they believe, in good faith, would compromise patient care or be in violation of their legal duties or the Nurse Practice Act. The bill would also protect nurses if they believe that they lack the knowledge, skills or abilities to deliver the minimum standard of care or if they question the reasonableness of another healthcare provider’s order that they are required to execute.
Senate Bill 82, called the “Safe Harbor for Nurses Act,” is sponsored by Senator Liz Stefanics (D-Cerrillos), Senate President Pro Tempore Mary Kay Papen (D-Las Cruces) and Senator Gay Kernan (R-Hobbs) and is modeled after a similar law in Texas.
In these cases, a nurse may request an established “safe harbor” peer review process and would not be subject to disciplinary action, retaliation or discrimination by doing so.
“The ‘Safe Harbor for Nurses Act’ protects the rights of nurses, but also ensures the best possible outcomes with regard to patient care,” said Senator Stefanics. “I’m delighted that this bill has unanimous support in the Senate and am hopeful that our colleagues in the House will also appreciate the merits of this common-sense legislation.”
For more information, visit: https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/19%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0082.pdf
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