WASHINGTON – A bipartisan bill introduced shortly before the start of National Nurses Week in May would protect nurses from working mandatory overtime hours, one of the the more controversial methods adopted by some hospitals to handle staffing shortages.
The Safe Nursing and Patient Care Act, introduced by Reps. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) and Steven LaTourette (R-Ohio), looks to restrict mandatory overtime for nurses unless a facility is encountering officially declared state of emergency situations. Such limits would be stipulated in Medicare’s provider agreements.
Stark, LaTourette and representatives of organizations including the American Nurses Association and the Service Employees International Union say mandatory overtime contributes to the national nursing shortage and heightens the likelihood of medical errors, which endangers patients.
“Mandatory overtime exhausts nurses mentally and physically, placing patients’ lives at risk and driving nurses out of the profession,” Stark said in a press release.
The bill includes provisions to protect nurses from employers who try to force them to work hours beyond what is believed to be appropriate and safe.
Rebecca Patton, RN, president of the American Nurses Association, said in the release that forced overtime is an injustice to nurses and puts the health and safety of all at risk. “This legislation provides much needed guidelines for hospitals, protects nurses and ensures safer patient care,” she said.