Bill to prohibit forced overtime for (Pennsylvania) nurses

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.eveningsun.com/localnews/ci_5747300

Bill to prohibit forced overtime for nurses
By RICHARD FELLINGER
Evening Sun Harrisburg Bureau
Article Launched: 04/25/2007 12:02:33 PM EDT

Hospitals would be prohibited from forcing nurses to work overtime under a bill that won preliminary approval in the House last week.

Rep. Dan Surra, D-Elk, sponsored the bill that cleared the House Labor Relations Committee on April 17 with a vote of 23-6. It now moves to the full House.

Surra's bill is the latest effort to ban mandatory overtime for nurses and other hospital employees who provide direct patient care. Similar bills have won preliminary approval in past sessions but failed to clear both legislative chambers.

Supporters, who include many Democrats and nurses unions, say the measure would guarantee better care for patients and encourage more people to enter the nursing field.

"I believe it's good patient protection," said Rep. Eugene DePasquale, D-York, a co-sponsor.

But both Hanover Hospital and Gettysburg Hospital officials said mandatory overtime is not something they practice.

FULL story at link.

[AnneD]

1. Nothing kills your Nursing staff

like mandatory OT. I got that crap pulled on me once. Fortunately, I had not signed in yet as I was suspicious of the reason for the 'meeting'. I listen to what they said and refused to take report on patients. I did not know these residents, the medication books were not present (they have the pictures, times to give meds and the names of the meds), the meds were in drawers in plastic baggies with a computer generated label that had been moved, and many of the meds were missing. These folks would be the first to take me to the Board of Nursing and have my license yanked and what defense could I offer. I have to maintain MY safe practice. I wrote a letter of resignation then and there and walked out. They tried to threaten us with abandonment. I told them to take my ass to court, they didn't have a leg to stand on and I knew it. They may be able to find a Nurse that will work that, but I'll always have a safe practice.