Federal and state governments should help reduce the regulatory burden faced by hospitals and other health care providers by carefully weighing the purported benefits of newly proposed regulations against the burden they will create for health care workers and the health care delivery system. One way to achieve a balance would be to require legislative bodies to complete a formal analysis of the impact (in terms of cost, flexibility and time) that proposed regulations have on the health care system. For example, many regulations impede hospitals’ ability to be flexible and creative when solving staffing shortage problems. An analysis of proposed regulations may help curb the problem.

Federal and state governments should also work toward easing paperwork requirements associated with current regulations. As discussed earlier in this report, health care providers are drowning in paperwork generated by regulations. The paperwork takes time away from patient care and creates worker dissatisfaction. One hour of emergency room care generates an hour of paperwork for caregivers — this is unacceptable.

Complying with regulations is expensive, yet hospitals do not receive financial assistance in meeting growing regulatory requirements. The cost of compliance with regulations, coupled with other financial strains on hospitals, prohibits hospitals from taking steps needed to address their personnel shortage.