PROTECTIONS FOR NURSES INVOKING SAFE HARBOR

HB 115 (New Mexico, 2026) adds specific protections for nurses who invoke "safe harbor" when they believe an assignment is unsafe or question a medical order. It requires healthcare facilities to establish clear processes for nurses to formally request safe harbor (including written documentation and supervisor notification), conduct post-occurrence reviews involving other nurses, and prohibits retaliation like demotion or termination for good-faith requests. The bill directly affects nurses and healthcare facilities by mandating structured procedures to address safety concerns without fear of punishment. It focuses on concrete policy changes: standardizing safe harbor requests, documenting them, and explicitly banning workplace retaliation against nurses who use the process.