Forced Overtime

[TrudyRN]

Any of you still having to do this?

What happens if you refuse?

How often do you get stuck with having to do it?

How do you handle it (kids, you had other plans, you feel too sick to stay for a 2nd shift, you'll have to come back in less than 8 hours if you work a 2nd shift)?

[meownsmile, BSN, RN]

I havent ever been in a siutaion where i have had mandatory overtime. I dont think i would work in a facility that mandated. I have a life and family outside of work and they have to come first.

[Gromit]

Only during a disaster (hurricane or otherwise) -then in preparation we are split into 'a' and 'b' teams -you can volunteer to be on one or the other, but if the split isn't even enough, they will move you around. "A" works during the disaster -or the first 24hrs of it (depending) and "B" rotates in for the next 24hrs, etc.

Its only happened once since I've been at this place. At my previous place, they did mandate overtime from time to time, and when things got slow, they called you off quite a bit -there were weeks where I only worked 1 shift.

[jamato8]

Never had to do it. I had a friend who did and she couldn't stand it. She quite working at the place because she could never relax on her days off. I won't accept the pressure but I haven't worked where it was a situation, thankfully.

[lorster]

I don't know how anyone can make a nurse stay during hours when they may have children at day care with no one else to pick them up and care for them. My hospital has this policy but usually someone steps in and works over so another nurse is not put in that situation. They usually base it on seniority which I don't feel is always fair as that task gets placed on a few nurses and more senior nurses rarely have to worry about it. We all work as a team and it should not be different during times like this.

[Gromit]

For the ones that have mandatory overtime, I wonder what kind of liability the hospital has if the nurse has been up for twenty hours (or whatever) falls asleep on the way home? I cannot for the life of me believe that they wouldn't have SOME responsibility in that case.

[gonzo1, ASN, RN]

I don't think I could work at a place that forced overtime. I have stayed to help out my team a few times by working a double. After about 14 hours I become pretty stupid, and they always put me someplace where I can't do any harm, like triage. Then I never drive home. A co-worker drops me home or my spouse picks me up and we get the car later. Then I usually end up sleeping for 20 hours. Places that force overtime are putting staff and pts in dangerous spot.

[ertravelrn]

I worked at one hospital that required 4 hours a week OT if you were needed. Which really meant.....on call......however, they could only make us work the 4 hours to make 40 hour week. I tried signing up for 8 hours every two weeks, but was told had to be 4 hours every week, which was not smart.....if you need a nurse for four hours, you probably need them the whole shift.

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

If administration is concerned enough to stay as well I would consider it a true emergency and stay. Otherwise if I want to go home I give report and go.