00:00A new law meant to improve the workload for nurses will go into effect a year early.
00:05That's after a surprise announcement from President Lai Tingde at this event celebrating the country's nurses.
00:20The new law would cement the nurse-to-patient ratio, which was established in 2024 but not enforced.
00:26It was originally set to go into effect after a two-year grace period ending in 2028, but now that
00:33period has been shortened to a year.
00:35The new regulations, based on the three shifts most hospitals use, means that one nurse would be responsible for a
00:42maximum of six patients in the day, nine in the evening, and 11 at night.
00:47Once the law goes into effect, hospitals could be fined or temporarily shut down if they don't follow the rules.
00:53But some nursing unions say the law should go into effect even sooner.
01:09Still, the government and some hospital officials have concerns that enforcing the law too soon means hospitals could reject patients
01:17or reduce bed capacity to avoid penalties.
01:20They say it may take a year before there are enough nurses in all hospitals to meet patient needs.
01:39But for nurses who have already waited years for these standards to be enforced, the law can't come soon enough
01:45to improve their overworked schedules and help the patients who rely on their care.
01:50Hank Shui and Tiffany Wong for Taiwan Plus.
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