Pennsylvania bans mandatory overtime for nurses
Patient Safety Monitor Alert
July 8, 2009
Although it was signed into law last fall, a bill preventing hospitals from assigning nurses mandatory overtime went into effect last week in Pennsylvania, marking a win for nurses in that state, reports The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Until now, nurses would often be asked to work extra mandatory hours at the end of their already long shifts and be unable to refuse. This practice caused many nurses to leave the profession, say current nurses. Additionally, patient safety was put in jeopardy by asking tired staff members to continue to work after their shifts were through.
Now, nurses can still work overtime if they choose to, but they are not required to.
