Mandatory overtime in massachusetts nursing home

Nurses LPN/LVN

Published

I work in a Massachusetts nursing home. After doing 16 1/2 hours, I passed an unfinished task onto the following shift. She completed the shift, but didn't do a note on what she did. My DON is trying to blame me for it. She states I should have stayed and completed the task myself. I thought after 16 hours a nurse couldn't stay any longer. Does anyone know where to find the exact law. I have been able to find it for an RN in a hospital setting. What about a long term care setting? Any thoughts.....

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Check with your local Labor Board.

1 Votes

sorry to hear this is happened I also work in Massachusetts in a rehab facility after being mandated to work an extra shift I passed along unfinished work to the following shift nurse.The same the DON blamed me suspended then fired me and now DPH effect on my license
Really the only response is check with your local labor board?.

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Specializes in Home health, Addictions, Detox, Psych and clinics..

Get if you don’t have it already. I have NSO. And I would leave that place! She’s gonna try and come at you after not completing one task after a 16 hours shift? She’s insane. She could’ve brought her happy *** in and done it. Was the patient harmed? Was there a significant risk for harm? Was there malicious intent? Boards of nursing know we are only human at the end of day, and sometimes we will forget something that isn’t detrimental as hard as we try not to.

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Specializes in EMS, LTC, Sub-acute Rehab.

That's one of those grey areas. Hospitals are regulated by the Joint Commission. LTCs are regulated at the State level. Which is why they are the Wild West of healthcare facilities. Pretty much anything goes.

In Massachusetts, LTC workers are exempt from overtime pay and many other DOL regulations at the State level. Don't expect the BON to be any help either. State bureaucrats are there to feign safety regulation, collect taxes and fines. They only exist to protect the companies, not patients or employees. Union offer some recourse. But that's a pay to play game as well.

It's your DON/ADON's job to ensure proper coverage and relief. Unfortunately, most don't give a damn about the healthcare staff. Which sounds very much like your situation. Unless this is an isolated incident.

If you're going to hand off a task to someone else. Document it in your shift report and in the patient's chart. Unless it's a critical medication or intervention.

If you feel you're unsafe to work after 16 hours. Call the DON/ADON. Request relief and document it as unsafe assignment. If your Pt census is low enough, you could give report to a fellow nurse and leave. They might fire you. But it's better than losing your license. They'd have a difficult time reporting you to the BON.

Welcome to long term care. It's the toughest job you'll never love.

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Sorry to hear. This really should be illegal to mandate a nurse to overtime. It's one of the reasons I switched to home health. It isn't ideal for everyone but since I have slightly less flexible options as an LPN it worked out.

I also would not stay anywhere that mandated overtime. No amount of job security is worth that. In my opinion this is little better than indentured servitutde. I worked in NYC and had friends in upstate NY. Mandated overtime was a thing in both places.

I also second having . I wouldn't entirely trust the BON. At the end of the day the company's interests may come on top and it might not always work in the favor of the nurse.

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