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With wide support from nurses' unions and consumer advocate groups, Governor Gray Davis of California proposed restrictions on the number of patients assigned to nurses in hospitals yesterday, in response to growing concerns about hospital staffing levels, quality of patient care, and patient injuries resulting from shortcomings in these areas. If Davis' requirements survive public hearings and state Department of Health Services revisions, California will become the first state to adopt such regulations. While hospital and HMO groups have voiced concerns over rising costs and recruiting problems that may result, they have so far been cautious about criticizing the proposed regulations.