In 1999, California passed the nation's first legislation to establish minimum registered nurse-to-patient staffing ratios for different types of care. Nearly four years later, after reviewing tens of thousands of comments, the California Department of Health Services has finally decided exactly what those ratios should be. The minimum ratios are the same for every shift, and create a minimum standard effective January 1, 2004. Additional registered nurses must be added if warranted by the severity of patients' conditions.

The following is a list of the minimum California RN-to-patient ratios for some commonly used hospital units:
Critical care ICU, Neonatal ICU-1:2.
Continuing care nursery-1:4.
Labor and delivery-1:2 (active labor).
Antepartum-1:4 (no active labor).
Postpartum-1:6 (mothers).
Couplet care-4 couplets (mothers and babies staying together).
Well-baby nursery-1:8.
Postanesthesia-1:2.
Trauma-1:1.
Operating room-1:1.
Critical care-1:2.
Medical-surgical-1:6 (goes to 1:5 in 2005).
Pediatrics-1:4.
Specialty (e.g. oncology)-1:5 (goes to 1:4 in 2008).
Psychiatry-1:6.

-Kathy Mitchell