Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §1832 is enacted to read:

§1832.__Hospital staffing

Staffing in all hospitals licensed under this chapter is subject to the provisions of this section.

1.__Definitions.__As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.

A.__"Acuity-based patient classification system" or "system" means a standardized set of criteria based on scientific data that acts as a measurement instrument that is used to predict registered nursing care requirements for individual patients based on the severity of patient illness, the need for specialized equipment and technology, the intensity of required nursing interventions and the complexity of clinical nursing judgment required to design, implement and evaluate the patient's nursing care plan consistent with professional standards.__The system calculates, in a manner that can be readily understood and used, the number of direct-care registered nurses and the skill mix of nursing personnel required on a daily basis for each patient.

B.__"Direct-care registered nurse" means a registered nurse who has accepted direct responsibility for carrying out medical regimens, nursing and other bedside care for patients.

2.__Minimum staffing ratios.__The minimum staffing ratios for general, acute and specialty hospitals are established in this subsection for direct-care registered nurses as follows:

A.__For an intensive care unit, one nurse to every 2 patients;

B.__For a critical care unit, one nurse to every 2 patients;

C.__For a neonatal intensive care unit, one nurse to every 2 patients;

D.__For a burn unit, one nurse to every 2 patients;

E.__For a step-down, intermediate care unit, one nurse to every 3 patients;