Mandatory overtime for nurses may soon be an idea of the past in New York.

By a 137-2 vote, the state Assembly recently approved a bill banning mandatory overtime for nurses. The bill now goes to the Senate. If passed, the measure would not prevent nurses from voluntarily working overtime, but it would limit the number of consecutive hours a nurse could work.

Proponents of the bill see it as a way to improve patient care and attract more professionals to the industry. Opponents say it would hurt patient safety, as hospitals would be forced to work short-handed.

Sources: Times (NY) Herald-Record, Public Employees Federation press release, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation