P: Bill Banning Mandatory Overtime Passed by House; onto PA Senate

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

from pa nurses:

news from the pennsylvania general assembly

nursing overtime: the house approved a ban on most types of mandatory overtime for nurses, a bill that sponsor rep. dan surra touted as a way to improve the quality of nurses' lives as well as patient care. read more

house sends surra bill banning mandatory overtime for nurses to state senate

harrisburg, may 21 – the state house of representatives today passed legislation that would prohibit hospitals and other health-care facilities from requiring nurses and other patient-care workers to work beyond their regularly agreed-to shifts.

state rep. dan surra, d-elk/clearfield, who introduced the legislation, said it is important worker-safety and patient-safety legislation.

“this legislation takes the staffing needs of our hospitals and other health-care facilities into account, but also recognizes that patient care suffers, and our state’s nurses suffer, when mandatory overtime is used as a routine staffing strategy,” surra said. “we don’t allow airlines and trucking companies to mandate 16-hour shifts or double shifts without rest – we should not allow hospitals to do it, either.”

surra’s bill would provide exceptions in the case of emergencies and when health-care workers are required to stay beyond their regular shift to complete a patient procedure. it also would allow nurses to continue to volunteer for overtime.

but prohibiting mandatory overtime as a routine staffing strategy would reduce the number of nurses who leave the profession because of burnout, and reduce the number of patient-care errors that drive up the cost of health care, he said.....

:w00t:the house passed the legislation (h.b. 834) 166-31

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