Is overtime safe for your patients?

[txRN07]

I was wondering what everyone's opinion is about the floating rumors I'm sure we've all been hearing about laws being passed restricting how many hours a nurse can work in one day. My boss schedules me to work one double shift a week which amounts to a 16 hour shift, and I can honestly say by about the 14th hour, I have to really slow down and double, triple check everything I am doing because my mind is not as quick as it was earlier, I must do about ten med checks before administering, it really scares me. I hate doing the double shifts although the overtime pay is nice, but in my opinion it is not worth taking the risk. Should there be limits on how many hours we put in in one day?:thnkg:

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

I was also curious, do any of you have the staffing person come up on the floor and ask you to stay for a double shift, and then they don't take no for an answer? My husband is a cop, and he goes to work when I come home, so I need to go home to be with my kids. Everytime I say that I can't stay late, they go off and start saying things like "Well patient care will suffer" or "I'm just trying to fatten your wallet for your family". Then I go home and feel guilty for choosing my family over my patients. This is a daily occurrence, they are always asking around for nurses to stay for double shifts. Is the staffing office the same at other facilities?

Don't fall for the guilt trips - go home to your family. :icon_hug:

steph

[Ms.RN]

should there be limits on how many hours we put in in one day?

i think nurses should not work more than 16 hours. alot of nurses, including me have worked few 16 hours but after that, i become like this, :hlk:and i cant wait to go home and :tbsk::tbsk::tbsk:. i'm just curious, has anyone ever worked 24 hours or more in one day?

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

should there be limits on how many hours we put in in one day?

i think nurses should not work more than 16 hours. alot of nurses, including me have worked few 16 hours but after that, i become like this, :hlk:and i cant wait to go home and :tbsk::tbsk::tbsk:. i'm just curious, has anyone ever worked 24 hours or more in one day?

i did - stayed with a laboring woman whose baby had died and wanted consistency with nursing.

lots of times in a small rural hospital, with a shortage of ob nurses, we've stayed for close to 24 hours.

steph

[EmmaG, RN]

Everytime I say that I can't stay late, they go off and start saying things like "Well patient care will suffer" or "I'm just trying to fatten your wallet for your family". Then I go home and feel guilty for choosing my family over my patients.

The answer to that is "That is your concern" and "I'll worry about my own wallet, thanks"

You need to break yourself of that misplaced guilt right now. That hospital was standing before you started working there, and it sure as heck is going to be there after you're gone. Family comes first, period.

[StNeotser, ASN, RN]

Once I was pretty much forced and threatened into staying from 10pm to 2pm. I had signed up for the 10pm to 6am but not for the day shift. It was the worst thing I ever did and would sooner lose my job than do that again.

I have on occasion worked 16hrs from 6am to 10pm or 2pm to 6am. But I've always made sure I've either been off the day before or the day after. That's been my decision. But I've pretty much worked out my sanity, my license and my family life is worth more than the bucks made.

[angel337, MSN, RN]

i personally think 12 hours is more than enough. only you can really judge what you can handle, it sounds like you need to cut back on the 16's though. the money may be nice, but your license and the patients life is worth way more.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

i've worked a couple of 24 hour shifts in emergencies, but i wouldn't advise it. i can't believe i was very safe at all the last 8 hours of the shift. sad thing is, when there's a weather emergency, we're all expected to stay until relief comes -- and sometimes it isn't for a day or two. work 12, have four off, work another 12 -- not very safe and we didn't even get paid overtime for all that extra! i'd like to see the "gucci nurses" come into the unit and help us out instead of leaving early and heading for home!