Inside Harrisburg

by State Rep. Dan Frankel

Working to protect patients, nurses by banning mandatory overtime

           Under the new Democratic majority in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, the agenda has shifted dramatically this session.  The legislature is more focused on helping working people and tackling important issues such as health care.

            One example of this is H.B. 834, a piece of legislation that I support and that I expect will pass the House in the near future. This bill would establish a ban on mandatory overtime for nurses and other health-care workers who provide patient care. Over the years, mandatory overtime and long working hours have become a trend for nurses here in Pennsylvania. 

            Not only do these working conditions lead to costly and sometimes fatal medical mistakes, but they may also be partially responsible for the current shortage in nurses and the decline in those choosing to pursue careers in this arena. Providing high quality care to patients has always been a primary incentive for the majority of people who choose to follow a health-care career path. If direct care workers are prevented from accomplishing this goal in a safe working environment, their motivation for choosing this line of work is greatly diminished. The passage of H.B. 834 is critical for maintaining quality health care and patient safety in our state, as well as for making the direct care profession a more desirable career choice.

            House Bill 834 would prohibit hospitals and other health-care facilities from requiring nurses and other patient-care employees to work beyond a regular shift that has already been agreed upon, and nurses and other employees who refuse overtime could not be disciplined, discharged or discriminated against for that reason. Hospitals and other health-care facilities would be permitted to require mandatory overtime only in the event of emergencies and when other reasonable efforts to provide adequate staffing have been exhausted. However, nurses and other health-care workers would still be permitted to volunteer for overtime.

            In a recent survey by the American Nurses Association, half of the nurses who participated reported working as many as 10 hours beyond their normal work week, and nearly one in five said they regularly work between 60 and 80 hours a week.

            Forcing nurses to work as many as 16 hours a day and up to 80 hours a week – in some cases double shifts with little or no warning – is not fair to nurses or their families and compromises quality patient care. In addition, it is costing our health-care system skilled and experienced health-care professionals and often results in nurses who burn out and leave the profession altogether.

            I am proud to support the proposed ban on mandatory overtime for nurses and other health-care professionals, and I look forward to more progressive legislation during this session.

            Constituents in the 23rd Legislative District with state-related concerns or questions may call Representative Dan Frankel’s office at 412-422-1774 or visit the office at 4225 Murray Ave.

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