Safe Nursing and Patient Care Act of 2003

The Safe Nursing and Patient Care Act of 2003 (H.R. 745) aims to improve patient safety by strictly limiting the ability of hospitals and healthcare facilities to require nurses to work mandatory overtime. Under this bill, nurses could no longer be forced to work beyond their regularly scheduled shifts or more than 40 hours per week, except during officially declared emergencies. The legislation also protects nurses from employer retaliation for refusing extra shifts and requires federal studies to determine the maximum number of hours a nurse can safely work without compromising patient care.