Mandatory Overtime Bill

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Bill S2093 prohibiting the use of mandatory overtime in New Jersey passed the senate. Now, onto the Governor! We don't want it vetoed again. You can mail the Governor at www.state.nj.us/governor/contact.htm

Originally posted by Tiara:

Bill S2093 prohibiting the use of mandatory overtime in New Jersey passed the senate. Now, onto the Governor! We don't want it vetoed again. You can mail the Governor at www.state.nj.us/governor/contact.htm

OK. GOOD LUCK! And I have one for you. I'll be participating in RN lobbying at the NY Capitol this week. Below are the issues & the bills we want to advance. SOme were even written by NYSNA. All NYers out there, please contact your state officials & tell them to pass these bills. Thanks. (this post is long because I included the explanation of each so you all know what it is youre calling them about:

Lobbying Points:

ENSURE SAFE STAFFING - 2001

RN Solutions to the Nursing Care Crisis

Disclose data to the public on RN staffing levels in hospitals and nursing homes

(Assembly Bill 2581/Senate Bill 517)

There is a proven relationship between the level of RN staffing and nursing quality of care indicators.

~Increased RN staffing reduces:

~Overall costs

~Mortality rates

~Pressure ulcers

~Nosocomial infections

~Length of stay

Protect the title Nurse so that only RNs and LPNs can use the term (included in A2581/S517).

Create enforceable guidelines to ensure safe staffing

New Yorks Hospital Code requires that employers ensure, when needed in accordance with generally accepted standards of nursing practice, the immediate availability of an RN for bedside care of any patient.

Legislation is needed to define "when there is sufficiency" in staffing and to comprehensively address staffing concerns throughout the health care industry.

~NYSNA is requesting introduction of our components of safe staffing legislation. This bill would determine appropriate staffing based on the characteristics of each facility and the acuity of patients.

Several additional bills are pending and supported by NYSNA to improve staffing ratios.

~Senate Bill 117 (hospitals staffing)

~Assembly Bill 4171/Senate Bill 2185 (nursing homes staffing)

END mandatory overtime

Legislation is needed to PROHIBIT employers from requiring that nurses work overtime to fill gaps in scheduling.

~Nurses must NOT be required to work longer than their regularly scheduled shift.

~Licensure regulations need to change to ensure that nurses will not be charged with patient abandonment for refusing mandatory overtime.

~Exceptions to the prohibition on mandatory overtime will be permitted only in cases of a DECLARED emergency or health crisis (city, state, federal).

~Short staffing is NOT to be defined as an emergency.

~Bills are pending that RESTRICT mandatory overtime to a maximum number of hours per week. (A2025/S1380) THESE BILLS ARE NOT SUPPORTED.

~NYSNA advocates ZERO TOLERANCE FOR MANDATORY OVERTIME. Nurses may choose to work additional hours based on their professional judgment.

Prohibit retaliation against health care workers who advocate for quality care (Assembly Bill 3259)

NYSNAs whistleblower protection legislation unanimously passed the Assembly and the Senate in 2000 and was vetoed by Governor Pataki. The legislation was reintroduced in the Assembly in 2001.

~Prohibit retaliation against all health care workers, including professionals, who report to a

supervisor or a public agency breeches of quality care that violate a state law, rule or regulation.

~Additionally, prohibit retaliation against health care professionals who report to a supervisor or a public agency breeches of quality care that violate professional standards.

~Require a state agency to investigate reports of retaliation and assess fines upon a substantiated

finding.

Require continuing education for registered nurses (Bill numbers will be available on March 19th)

Legislation is needed to ensure continued up-to-date learning.

~Promote competency in nursing care.

~Require forty-five hours of continuing education for each period of re-registration.

http://www.nysna.org/PGA/LEG/POINTS/staffing2001

Below are the issues & the bills we want to advance. [Q]

and these:

(looks like this is going to be a very busy few days!)

STATE BUDGET 2001 - NURSING SHORTAGE

RN Solutions to the Nursing Care Crisis

"To address the nursing shortage, it is essential to:

Lower the high turnover rates of nursing staff

Provide competitive wage and benefit packages for registered nurses and support personnel.

Improve working conditions to ensure safe staffing.

Establish reimbursement rates for health care facilities to reflect costs of recruiting and retaining staff

Tie funding to evidence of improvements in recruitment and retention.

****(then they cant just say they tried to recruit but cant find nurses. Their FUNDING will depend on them finding nurses so thats when we'll see the real recruitment efforts begin!)******

Enhance the funding to the nursing department, not to a facilitys general operating costs.

Develop a stable RN workforce by......."

http://www.nysna.org/PGA/LEG/solutions.htm

Ok jt! Thanks for all the information! The more we write, the better our chances.

+ Add a Comment