{"data":{"id":"us-wv/w.-va.-code-21-5f-1","jurisdiction":"us-wv","citation":"W. Va. Code § 21-5F-1","heading":"Legislative findings and purpose.","body":"The Legislature finds and declares that:\n(1) It is essential that qualified registered nurses and other licensed health care workers providing direct patient care be\navailable to meet the needs of patients;\n(2) Quality patient care is jeopardized by nurses that work unnecessarily long hours in hospitals;\n(3) Health care workers, especially nurses, are leaving their profession because of workplace stresses, long work hours and depreciation of their essential role in the delivery of quality, direct patient care;\n(4) It is necessary to safeguard the efficiency, health and general well-being of health care workers in hospitals, as well as the health and general well-being of the persons who use their services;\n(5) It is further necessary that health care workers be aware of their rights, duties and remedies with regard to hours worked\nand patient safety; and\n(6) Hospitals should provide adequate safe nursing staffing without the use of mandatory overtime.","path":["CHAPTER 21. LABOR","ARTICLE 5F. NURSE OVERTIME AND PATIENT SAFETY ACT."],"source_url":"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/21-5F-1/","current_through":"as of 2026-08-03; contains at least the enactments of the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-06T00:25:44Z","sha256":"452bdc72257e494c3d3be2b8494b9de68bd8c7e3b7eb7baffdd3ea6afe28c9a8","source_id":"us-wv","stale":true,"prev":"us-wv/w.-va.-code-21-5e-6","next":"us-wv/w.-va.-code-21-5f-2"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}