Extremely overworked

Hello, I am currently a nurse in Florida. I have been having a hard time finding a policy that states how many hours it must be before I have to clock back into work

for example... yesterday I was on call and worked 7am- 12:30am straight with no breaks. I was required to clock back into work at 7am. Is there a policy for Florida nurses stating how many hours a registered nurse must rest outside of work before clocking back in? Links, resources would be great!

Any help with this I would appreciate tremendously

I feel for you. Unfortunately you work in one of the worst with the Right to Work States Laws. This strongly protects the Employers in the state. It is virtually impossible for an employee to get any rights. I am from Arizona and we are similar to your state.

I assume you work in a "call" position like surgery or PACU? I know I worked in a PACU position and it nearly killed me. I could not believe how many hours I would have to work with so little sleep. I had no support in my hospital or the state. I hate to find a new job. Good luck!

Nobody appreciates the nurses perspective. I bet they tell you to suck it up or leave.

bingo! get used to it, or leave! OR check with your local congressman!

I don't know of anything in writing but I have been told by both a retail job in college and then nursing job recently (almost 20 years apart) that 8 hours were required to be clocked out before clocking back in after a 16 hour shift. I was recently told 16 hours was the max for a nursing shift at my hospital, although that may be hospital policy and not law.

There is a law that you MUST clock out for 30 minutes for any amount of time over 6 hours. A double would equal two 30 minute breaks.

Florida is known for being a very stinky state when it comes to employee rights. Everything is in favor of the employer it seems.

recently in my job as nurse & union steward..I reminded the supervisor the employee in question would be working two 12h shift. He went DUH!!??? He did not read the schedule.

Many hospitals in the great and powerful USA, are run like a chain store business. Like Tim Hortons. In Michigan, the McLean hospital chain is similar.

No one seems to give a crap about nursing fatigue. Patient safety only applies when it works in favor of the hospital. If a nurse mentions any patient safety issues related to her or himself the nurse is shut down, thrown in a hole, and buried alive.

what is nursing fatigue. If it means working too many hours, does your hospital have a health & safety committee, for what its worth? Bring this to your supers attention, for what its worth. Most of these supers are clinically brain dead. As i have witnessed in the past going to bat for staff coming off a 12h shift then asked to work a day shift, not being able to read the schedule proper that they made up.