NY: Lawmakers seek to ban double shifts for nurses (Middletown Times Herald-Record)

I hope so. I didn't mind mandation so much when I was working days - as long as I felt ok. I was mandated 3 times in a two yeard period. But now that I work nights and sleep as soon as I get home, I am afraid of getting mandated. I honestly don't think I could do another 8 hours safely. I may actually have to refuse.

I work two 16 hour double shifts every Saturday and Sunday, from 6am to 10pm, and receive pay for a 40 hour work week under my workplace's Baylor plan. Since I have Monday through Friday off, I wouldn't have it any other way at this point in time. I'll leave my job either when I am fired, or cannot take the stress anymore. Otherwise, I plan to continue to do my double shifts.

Sounds like they are not changing the fact that you can volunteer to do a double, but they they want to eliminate the hospital mandating you to.

I do work a double every few weeks, but it is an evening/night double.

I personally feel that it would be more appropriate to mandate safe staffing ratios before prohibiting double shifts. IMHO more errors are waiting to be made when when the nurse has to juggle an insane workload within their normal shift!

Ok..someone help me...I don't see where they are banning double shifts only being mandated for a double. I think the title of the article is misleading? Or is the night shift getting to me and I just can't see it.

You are correct, in fact the article says there's an exception where hospitals could still mandate overtime in the case of disasters or states of emergency.

It is the idea of unplanned double shifts/OT that is the problem. When you plan to work a double (even though I think this is also dangerous in the long run) at least you arrange your outside life and sleep patterns around this. But when you are mandated with little notice thats when the danger to both the patients and to the individual nurse greatly increase. Adequate staffing and flexibility in staffing budgets can greatly decrease the need for mandating doubles/OT. States have passed laws banning mandatory overtime and/or severely limiting its use and they have managed to still care for their patients and staff appropriately.

Thanks! I thought the title of the article was a little misleading. Perhaps it was titled that way to draw attention.

I agree ocankhe, it is the unplanned double that imho is dangerous. If you are not mentally or physically ready to do a double, your license is in jeopardy and/or your patients are at risk