A longer version of this article appeared in the Kitsap Sun.
Next month, Washington hospitals must begin monitoring how often they are in compliance with staffing plans, as part of an effort to ease burnout and address worker shortages.
Each hospital created staffing plans at the start of this year through a committee that included both hospital management and rank-and-file employees. They outline the minimum number of employees assigned to be in each unit at each hour of the day.
Beginning in 2027, hospitals need to submit staffing reports to the Department of Health twice per year. They could face investigations and penalties for being out of compliance more than 20% of the time.
The plans and tracking are part of the state’s expanded hospital staffing law, which was approved two years ago.
Officials are hopeful this model will improve the health of the industry at a time when recruiting and retaining staff have become more challenging. Across the state, industry groups and others have reported major workforce shortages and a dwindling pool of applicants.
Conor Wilson is a Washington State University Murrow News fellow, reporting for the Kitsap Sun and Gig Harbor Now. The Kitsap Sun published a longer version of this article on June 26, 2025.
