Texas may prohibit forced nurse overtime

Texas may soon become the second state in the U.S. to ban mandatory overtime for nurses, following a similar law enacted in Pennsylvania on July 1.

States have varied degrees of overtime restrictions, but the common factor is some protection for nurses who won't work in excess of their agreed-upon, posted schedule. However, it's still unusual for states to ban involuntary overtime entirely.

Nurse associations active in this arena are focused on making sure nurses are able to refuse overtime and not have to face retaliation from the hospital, or face the state board of nursing for neglect of patients or abandonment of care.

To get these bills through legislatures, nursing groups are working with hospitals to develop language that makes hospitals more accountable, and reminds hospital execs that there's a direct relationship between staffing and patient outcomes, nurse activists say.

To learn more about the bill:
- read this Healthcare Finance News piece

Related Articles:
PA bans mandatory nurse overtime
Nurses lobby for single-payer system, new workplace regs
Trend: Hospitals lure nurses with better working conditions