Psychiatric Nursing Staff Left as 'Orphans' in Three-Shift Nurse-Patient Ratio Legislation, Forced to Wait for Regulations' 'Triennial Review'

The inclusion of three-shift nurse-patient ratios in legislation, with phased implementation starting in 2027, was initially welcomed by the nursing community. However, the exclusion of psychiatric specialty hospitals, psychiatric teaching hospitals, and acute psychiatric wards in general hospitals from these regulations has left psychiatric nursing staff feeling like 'orphans' of the policy. Nurses in this field have been actively petitioning authorities and engaging in discussions with central regulatory bodies and the Taiwan Psychiatric Medical Association, yet their concerns remain largely unaddressed.

Liu Wen-yi,理事长 of the Republic of China Society of Psychiatric Nursing, stated that while approximately 200,000 licensed nurses are currently practicing in Taiwan, her association has only around 3,000 members—less than 2%—making it a significantly underrepresented group. This lack of representation has historically prevented the society from securing even a single board or supervisory position within the national nursing federation, let alone challenging widespread societal biases.

Consequently, the systemic issues faced by psychiatric nurses—such as low wages, exploitative working conditions, and exposure to medical violence—are just as severe, if not worse, than those in other departments. Liu emphasized that psychiatric nursing staff should not be excluded from the legal protections and clear staffing ratios now being codified in the 'Medical Institution Establishment Standards.'