Is there alot of mandatory O.T. in your nursing department?

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Are you required to do alot of overtime in your nursing department? I'm mostly considering the hospital over the nursing home setting. Overtime would be great for me, but if you are already doing 12 hour days it's pretty hectic.

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Specializes in Peds Hem, Onc, Med/Surg.

We used to have mandatory OT. Not anymore! :D I don't "do" overtime. Now its more of who wants it gets it. And there are plenty that want it so.......

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Specializes in med/surg, ER, camp nursing.

Our union hospital in MA only has 8 hr shifts and one of only a few hospitals in MA to have mandatory OT. During the month of June and July our census was very high and we were low staffed to start off with. This results in someone from the previous shift having to stay past their scheduled shift. Often they would get someone from the next shift to come in 4 hrs early. So they end up working 12 hrs not 16. I have done a few 16's and they are exhausting on a busy med/surg floor.

I don't think you can work more than 16 hrs under most labor laws.

The money is great but nurses have been getting burned out. I for one stop being able to think very clearly when I enter my 13th hours of work.. Not safe at all!

Also... I don't know how people do it with child care issues! Thank goodness my kids are older and can cook their own dinner.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

i work one of the worse medical surgical floors in my hospital. one of the ways management seems to keep employees is by allowing ot. many of the nurses who would not think of leaving my floor remain because none of the other floors offer ot. i personally cannot stand any extra moments on this floor but this past month i have had no choice but to take extra shifts to cover additional temporary expenses. both my new pt and ft jobs do not start for month. thus, to answer your question, "no" it is not mandatory, but it does not have to be since there are so many nurses willing to accept ot. btw, the same nurses who also take ot weekly are also the ones who will accept or volunteer for low-census first. imo, ot by the bedside is not worth it unless you are in great financial need because it can and does burn you out quickly!!!

-signed up to take low-census this month, but i have yet to get it!!!:down:

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

We have mandatory overtime. I work 12 hour shifts and get mandated to stay for an additional four hours. They can't make us work more than a 16 hour shift. I get mandated about 2 times a year. I get asked to volunteer to stay much more often than that. I always refuse to volunteer to stay because after 12 hours I am exhausted and am not a good or safe nurse. I work with nurses that sign up for 16 hour shifts on a regular basis and I really don't know how they do it.

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We don't have mandatory overtime anymore, in theory, at least. The fact is, that nurses DO get mandated, it's called "not sending relief".

There are several who do volunteer, a lot, because they want/need the money. However, I've worked with some of these folks after their 16 hour shifts, and it DOES affect them. I certainly would NOT want to be a patient of theirs after one of their doubles!

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Specializes in pediatrics, public health.

We do not have mandatory OT at my hospital, per our union contract. Like a lot of other places, we generally have plenty of volunteers. I work an 8-hour PM shift, and I make myself available for OT by coming in 4 hours early if they need me. I can do this on weekdays because my 7 yo son is in school. I can't stay late or do 16 hours d/t child care constraints. If my hospital had mandatory OT, I would have to look for a job elsewhere.

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Specializes in Surgical, quality,management.

:confused:Non american here. What is this low census?

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We don't have it. There are always opportunities for overtime (extra hours or extra shifts), but they are 100% voluntary. I like that.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
:confused:Non american here. What is this low census?

It's when your unit doesn't have enough patients and there are too many nurses.

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Specializes in pediatrics, public health.

If you "volunteer for low census", that means you volunteer to go home/stay home if the hospital has more nurses than it needs. There's another thread that discusses hospital policies about this -- in some places, they can cancel your shift without pay, in other places, they can only cancel you if you agree and you can get vacation pay for the time.

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Yes, we had mandatory overtime. We were required to work 4 12's per week to staff our unit. I quit and now work 2 12's per week.

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