SPRINGFIELD (25News Now) – A national nurses union wants Illinois lawmakers to address what they say is a staffing crisis at hospitals around the state.

In Springfield Thursday, National Nurses United along with State Sen. Celina Villanueva spoke in support of a senate bill that would require safe staffing ratios between patients and nurses.

The Safe Patient Limits Act would limit the maximum number of patients that may be assigned to a registered nurse.

They say a 2021 study found that if Illinois enacted this act, thousands of deaths per year could be avoided and patients would experience shorter hospital stays.

Villanueva said too many patients per nurse puts both patients and staff at risk.

“This is a matter of public safety, patients deserve timely, quality care and nurses deserve a safe and manageable work environment,” she said. “We have a responsibility to act now to strengthen our health care system before more lives are put at risk.”

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