Dallas-Fort Worth senator files bill to tackle Texas nursing shortage

Texas Sen. Jane Nelson has filed a bill focused on stemming a nursing shortage in Texas hospitals. Nelson's bill would prohibit mandatory overtime policies for nurses and extend whistle-blower protection to publicly employed nurses who report patient-care concerns involving public hospitals, state schools, or prisons. The bill would also elevate the clout of nursing commissions at every hospital, requiring them to report directly to hospital boards and giving them a say in the working environment of nurses in that hospital.