California laws says this about overtime...

[Leonardo Del Toro, RN]

That you are only forced to work 12 hours of overtime and should not fear retaliation. Exceptions: Emergency

So, what is considered an emergency here? A nurse calling off or a nurse in vacation forcing the RN on shift to do a double shift (16hrs), is that considered an emergency? 

It seems to me, emergency here is a very vague and accommodating word, no?

I feel like that lack of staff, the biggest problem in nursing facilities have largely solved by making nurses work overtime. But is lack of staff an emergency, or simply an HR mismanagement of resources? I appreciate your comments.

[Guest 1152923]

     I'm sure the hospitals will deem their critical staffing issues (often by design), as "emergencies" or "outstanding facility need" to force the issue.  As we all know, this is totally disingenuous and if they paid their nurses better, didn't whittle away at their benefits every year, and treated them as if they really matter, their staffing issues would probably vanish.  

 

 

[JBMmom, MSN, NP]

That's part of the problem everywhere. For the past 6-8 weeks we've probably averaged 12 nurses a week being mandated for 4-8 hours of overtime to reach their 16 hour max. The reasons? Late call outs, vacations, no nurse scheduled to come in, etc. I'm supposed to work until 11am tomorrow, but since there are very few nurses that come in at 11am, I'm likely going to be mandated, for the fifth time in a month, to work the 16 hours. Fortunately, I'm off tomorrow night, three other times I've had to come back eight hours later. It's ridiculous and frustrating, but if I demand to leave, aside from the potential for disciplinary action, it leaves my patients and coworkers with potentially unsafe working conditions. 

The nurses on 3-11 have it the worst at my hospital because we're so short on nights, even with travelers throughout the hospital. My manager in critical care said she's not even getting enough traveler applications lately to replace four of the seven that are ending their current contracts this month and not planning to extend. The evening shift nurses are regularly being mandated for 16 hours, and some have infants and small children at home to care for after their 16 hour shift. People are starting to be concerned for the health and safety of their children, which isn't right at all. 

[Leonardo Del Toro, RN]

1 hour ago, JBMmom said:

It's ridiculous and frustrating, but if I demand to leave, aside from the potential for disciplinary action, it leaves my patients and coworkers with potentially unsafe working conditions. 

The nurses on 3-11 have it the worst at my hospital because we're so short on nights, even with travelers throughout the hospital. 

I have reached a critical point with these forced overtimes. It seems, is the stress I have the hardest time dealing with. Working in a facility is tough enough for 8 hours. All the noise, behavior issues, crazy non stop work. After 8 hours I want to be gone. Pure and simple.

But lately, nurses call off's has increased by a lot. It is a feedback loop. The more nurses call off, the harder it is for those who are working, they harder they work the more the call off. It created a new brand of call off.

A nurse may decide not to show up because the situation at work is downright dangerous due to short staffing and burn out. So, that's a new type of call off.

Management still sees that as a problem nurses are creating because they are either lazy or untitled. This could have been avoided if they had hired enough staff and/or on calls or whatever it is not my problem to staff a facility. I wish there was another thing I could do in nursing...I think I'm maxed out in facility work. And I know, nurses in hospitals have it even worse. Oh Lord...