Bill to ban Mandatory Overtime up for vote in PA

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

june 9, 2005

pa state nurses association encourages you to:

help ensure patient safety.

please support banning mandatory overtime for rn's in pa.

• house bill 957, will be presented for a vote within the next 2 weeks.
  
• the bill would limit mandatory overtime.
  
• pa state nurses endorses the creighton amendment 1184 to this bill.
  
• the association is advocating hb 957 revise the language that "a health care facility may not require a nurse to work in excess of 8 hours" vs. the current language of 12 hours. under the current bill language a nurse can be forced to work up to 60 hours a week. (based on research and evidence, it is dangerous to have registered nurses mandated to work hours beyond their scheduled shifts. 95% of the time nurses will work overtime when asked but there are times when they need to say no because of illness, fatigue or child care needs and this should be respected.)
  
• amendment 1184 prohibits mandatory overtime in excess of 8 hours in a day or 40 hours per week.
  
• please notify your representative and urge them to amend hb 957 and support the creighton amendment 1184 to "help ensure patient safety". this amended bill with the representative's support will ban overtime for rns.
  

go to www.panurses.org and click on the legislative center line where you will find a template letter that you can email directly to your house representative. if you need further assistance with this link, please contact pa state nurses directly and someone will be happy to walk you through the process: 1-888-707-7762.

click here for the pa state nurses association's position statement on mandatory overtime: http://www.psna.org/c_posstat_ot.htm.