getting mandated

[ter116]

I am a RN. And last night came across something for the first time. I was on a double shift (16 hours) at 10 pm the RN for the night shift called in. I was the only RN working the 3-11 shift. My boss said I had to find coverage or work the night shift. I called everyone and nobody was willing to come in. By the way I'm 5 months pregnant and don't think I could have physically stayed up for a whole 24 hours someone finally was willing to come in. But if someone didn't what would my options be. I know I can't leave but how could I work in that condition. What would you do?

[missnurse01, MSN, RN]

you need to talk to you chief nursing officer or the nursing supervisor. you need clarification as to what the policy is there-and in your state. Here you can not legally work more than 20 hours in a row-and we do not have mandatory overtime. I would get clarification asap-otherwise this is bound to happen to you again. You are correct, if you leave it is pt abandonment.

[nuangel1, BSN, RN]

when my hospital could mandate years ago they could not make you work >17 hrs.for ex if i worked a 12 they could only mandate me 4 more hours.now in RI they can't mandate at all unless its a mass casualty or internal disaster.not for sick calls or existing wholes in the schedule.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Many states have enacted protection laws for nurses in an effort to prevent madatory staffing laws. For example........Pennsylvania's Act 102, effective as of July 2009, bans the practice of mandatory overtime and disciplining or discriminating against a nurse because she refuses to work overtime. Mandatory overtime may be used if all other reasonable alternatives have failed, but overtime cannot be used as part of normal staffing practices. Overtime may also be required in extreme emergencies such as natural disasters, widespread outbreaks of disease or terrorism. Nurses who work more than 12 hours consecutively in a single workday are then entitled to a minimum of 10 consecutive hours of time off, taken immediately after they have worked overtime hours.

MA law is vague....contact the BON, the department of labor and the MNA. I believe that it is that you can not work longer than 17 hours without an 8 hour break in between unless a natural disaster is declared and then there are requirement s for rest peroids. While you cannot be mandated after working a 16 hour shift another co-worker unfortunaletly could.....in the state of MA