How many hours can a nurse work. - page 2

We work 12 hour shifts, and when the next nurse calls off or there was not one scheduled then we have to stay over, this is where some of the nurses and doing 24 hr shifts. All management has to say is "they can do it". I miss the days when we had management that would actually come out on the floor and help in situations like this. I know after 12-16 hr shift I am tired, just seem unsafe to me. And the more I read it just seems the same all over the place. I love being a nurse, does something really bad have to happen for management to wake up?