In May, Connecticut became the tenth state to limit the use of mandatory overtime (OT) for hospital nurses. The legislation also requires health officials to establish minimum nurse/patient ratios.

Besides Connecticut, the states that now have enacted legislation regulating mandatory OT for nurses are California, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia. Several other states have introduced similar legislation. The American Nurses Association is advocating for federal legislation to prevent employers from trying to save money by using mandatory OT to maintain nurse staffing.