WASHINGTON STATE—With the recent legislative discussion surrounding nurses work hours and conditions in Washington State, nursing has become a hot topic. Opponents of an amendment limiting nurses to working eight-hour shifts said the law would make it more difficult for Washington to recruit nurses who consider 12-hour-shifts a job perk.

Wallethub.com recently performed a study on the best places to work as a nurse and ranked Oregon first and Washington third in the U.S. It is unlikely the new legislation was factored into the results, and unknown if it would have affected the results po...