1. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 4, each hospital located in a county whose population is 100,000 or more and which is licensed to have more than 70 beds shall establish a staffing committee to develop a written policy as required pursuant to NRS 449.2423 and a documented staffing plan as required pursuant to NRS 449.2421. Each staffing committee established pursuant to this subsection must consist of:

(a) Not less than one-half of the total regular members of the staffing committee from the licensed nursing staff and certified nursing assistants who are providing direct patient care at the hospital. The members described in this paragraph must consist of:

(1) One member representing each unit of the hospital who is a licensed nurse who provides direct patient care on that unit, elected by the licensed nursing staff who provide direct patient care on the unit that the member will represent.

(2) One member representing each unit of the hospital who is a certified nursing assistant who provides direct patient care on that unit, elected by the certified nursing assistants who provide direct patient care on the unit that the member will represent.

(b) Not less than one-half of the total regular members of the staffing committee appointed by the administration of the hospital.

(c) One alternate member representing each unit of the hospital who is a licensed nurse or certified nursing assistant who provides direct patient care on that unit, elected by the licensed nursing staff and certified nursing assistants who provide direct patient care on the unit that the member represents.

2. Each time a new staffing committee is formed pursuant to subsection 1, the administration of the hospital shall hold an election to select the members described in paragraphs (a) and (c) of subsection 1. Each licensed nurse and certified staffing assistant who provides direct patient care at the hospital must be allowed at least 3 days to vote for:

(a) The regular member described in paragraph (a) of subsection 1 who will represent his or her unit and profession; and

(b) The alternate member described in paragraph (c) of subsection 1 who will represent his or her unit.

3. If a vacancy occurs in a position on a staffing committee described in paragraph (a) or (c) of subsection 1, a new regular or alternate member, as applicable, must be elected in the same manner as his or her predecessor.

4. If a staffing committee is established for a health care facility described in subsection 1 through collective bargaining with an employee organization representing the licensed nursing staff and certified nursing assistants of the health care facility:

(a) The health care facility is not required to form a staffing committee pursuant to that subsection; and

(b) The staffing committee established pursuant to the collective bargaining agreement shall be deemed to be the staffing committee established for the health care facility pursuant to subsection 1.

5. In developing the written policy and the staffing plan, the staffing committee shall consider, without limitation, the information received pursuant to paragraph (b) of subsection 5 of NRS 449.2423 regarding requests to be relieved of a work assignment, refusals of a work assignment and objections to a work assignment.

6. The staffing committee of a hospital shall meet at least quarterly.

7. Each hospital that is required to establish a staffing committee pursuant to this section shall prepare a written report concerning the establishment of the staffing committee, the activities and progress of the staffing committee and a determination of the efficacy of the staffing committee. The hospital shall submit the report on or before December 31 of each:

(a) Even-numbered year to the Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau for transmission to the next regular session of the Legislature.

(b) Odd-numbered year to the Legislative Committee on Health Care.

(Added to NRS by 2009, 2024; A 2013, 2151; 2017, 4171; 2019, 3679, effective July 1, 2020)