Working when Fatigued & Assuring Patient Safety: RN's and Employers Responsibility

[NRSKarenRN]

new ana position statements:

assuring patient safety: registered nurses' responsibility in all roles and settings to guard against working when fatigued

(effective december 8, 2006)

assuring patient safety: the employers' role in promoting healthy nursing work hours for registered nurses in all roles and settings

(effective december 8, 2006)

[oramar]

worked with her, I could tell she had been working too many hours, she was loud, pushy and short with her coworkers. I guess I can only hope that she doesn't make any fatal errors in her overworking. Pam

Yes, push and short to the point of being beligerant. That is exactly what I have experienced.

The point we are all making that putting the responsibility for working to much overtime on the nurse is a mistake. What is needed are specific rules limiting hours just like pilots and truck drivers have.

[oramar]

Interesting that we have an obligation to speak up when we see a fatigued colleague trying to work. Looks like everything is either our fault or our responsibility. When will lawmakers get some b***s and force employers to act right? Let's put the responsibility where it belongs.

In my job, we are told when hired that we have mandatory OT and we can be written up for refusing to work it, unless we are acutely ill or we are off the next day.

So what if we are too fatigued in a case like that? Then what?

Yes, I would see the people that wrote this article address your concern. How about a rule that says, "If a person is mandated to stay over past 12 hours and mistakes get made the institution and supervision assumes all consequences".

[burn out]

In 2004 the state of West Virginia passed legislation and was signed by the governor that requires a nurse after working a minimum of 12 hours must be given at least 8 consecutive hours off for rest...the state nursing association was responsible for the initation of the bill. If it can happen here , it can happen in other states too.

[sanctuary, BSN, MSN, RN]

Unity, people, unity is the reason bills get passed into law. I know that Unions are a dirty word to our once proud profession, but it is the only way to get laws passed. Join your State Association, join Teamsters, it doesn't matter. Get a bigger voice by standing together, and march up to the Capital and get patient safety laws passed. After all, that is why we are concerned about all this forced employment. We get STUPID when we work too long. We also get cross and unpleasant to be around, and likely very stubborn about how OK we are.... Studies show that >80% of med errors and nursing mistakes occur after 8 hours of work. If we don't take care of ourselves, who will take care of the patients??