Question for nurses (and other healthcare workers)

[Horse with no Name]

Have you ever wondered why their isn't a national union for nurses like teamsters?
Have you wondered why Wal Mart offers their employees better insurance than most of the hospitals offer their employees?
Are you aware that nurses have more on-th-job injuries than construction workers?
Why can't we have a national license that allows us to practice in any state?
Is it so that we don't have a large voice?
Just curious here.
I would like to see an across the board standard for nurses--in Texas we have no protection like they currently have in California and nothing to protect us from being saddled with 8-10 patients at a time. We do have Safe Harbor which make no mistake, if you enact it, your job is toast but it protects your license. Texas is a right to work state and they can fire you at will.
I think the time has come for one national board of nurses--where you can work in any state, where we have a national union, national guidelines on nurse:patient ratios, union negotiated benefits and insurance as well as a powerful lobby.
Anyone else feel this way? (Apply nursing to x-ray techs, PT/OT and all other ancillary).