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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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CONTACT: Victoria L.
Stanish |
State Rep. Mike Carroll |
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May 14, 2007
TO: Mark Fedor, Editor
FROM: State Rep. Mike Carroll, Luzerne/Monroe
RE: Monthly column: Nurses’ mandatory overtime bill
Next week, the state House is poised to vote on legislation that would prohibit nurses and other health-care workers who provide patient care from being required to work beyond their normal shift.
I co-sponsored H.B. 834, which would prohibit the use of mandatory overtime as a routine staffing strategy in hospitals. The bill 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 could still require overtime for health-care workers in emergencies, and nurses and other health-care workers would still be permitted to volunteer for overtime.
A recent survey by the American Nurses Association said half of nurses reported working as much as 10 hours beyond their normal work week, and nearly one in five said they work between 60 hours and 80 hours almost every week.
These nurses are getting tired and burnt out, increasing the possibility that they’ll make medical errors and compromise the safety of their patients.
And contrary to some opinions, the nursing shortage crisis that Pennsylvania and other states are currently facing is not helped by mandating the nurses we do have to work excessive hours on a daily basis. It’s actually encouraging people to leave the field because they know they can’t do their jobs properly under these conditions.
We limit the amount of time pilots can fly and commercial truck drivers can drive to help prevent injury and accidents, so why haven’t we placed a limit on the hours nurses are working as they take care of the sick and critically ill?
Ending mandatory overtime for health-care professionals will help them protect themselves and their patients. We’re talking about the health and safety of the people we love, whether they’re the person being cared for or the one providing the care. What would you want for your loved ones?
To provide your input on this bill, visit my Web site at www.pahouse.com/carroll and click on the ‘Stop Mandatory Overtime’ link. Hopefully, we’ll add your voice to those who have already decided that they support quality care for patients and reasonable hours for the nurses who take care of them.
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