mandatory overtime safety

[DJ]

I would like feedback and regulations on:should nurses be made to work overtime. What are the regulations that protect us and what are the safety issues

[Ahn]

In CT, unless you are involved in a union where bargaining has determined nursing autonomy, or you have yourself contracted an agreement for overtime when you were hired - you cannot be MANDATED to work overtime. Most of us are led to believe that if you refuse to work, it would be PT Neglect - therefore making you legally responsible for pt endangerment. This is an employer issue, not an employee issue here. If the situation is controled by a disaster - that is a whole different ballgame.

If you feel unsafe- and your actions would possibly be detrimental to pt care, you are OBLIGATED to let your supervisor know. Then document well. "If you didn't document it, it didn't happen." I would like to add - can you prove in a court of law that a "prudent nurse" would have acted in the same way?