The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed a rule that would require skilled nursing facilities to record staffing levels for direct care nursing staff at the end of each shift. It was published in the Federal Register on Friday.

The rule would require facilities to capture and display daily resident census information, and to make the nurse staffing data available to the public on request.

CMS will accept comments through April 27. To see the proposed rule, go to: www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a040227c.html under “Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.”