I am pleased to see that some states are moving forward on the issue of RN staffing ("How Long and How Much Are Nurses Now Working?"Original Research, April). Will it require catastrophic events, media attention, and controversy to get New York State headed toward similar legislation? Protests of assignments seem ineffective. Nurses shouldn't have to lose their licenses or patients their lives for management to understand the importance of staffing ratios.

Heather Evans-Tracey, RN

Brooklyn, NY