Question about Mandated OT

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I've been wondering this for a while. I've always heard about the problem of mandated OT in nursing. My question is this: if you come in and work a 12 hour shift, and the NM mandates OT, are you forced to worked another 12 hours making your total time working for one day a straight 24 hours? Or does this give the NM time to find someone else time to come in?

I've been wondering this for a while. If someone could please explain how this works, I'd appreciate it!

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Where I work we have no mandated OT but the rules are no one works more than 16 hours in a row. Now, in storm coverage, they may have you work 16 and then sleep 8 at the hospital and then do another 16. When I worked for the state we did have mandatory OT and we worked 8s, you were required to stay another 8 if the next shift didn't show. I don't ever remember anyone doing more than 16 straight hours. I left that job because of the mandatory OT. Someone was mandated 2 or 3 times a week. Single Moms would cry because of childcare issues. It was horrible to work like that.

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I could not work like that as medical mistakes are made when one is so tired. This should be illegal in my opinion!!

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Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

At my last job you could only work 18 hours then take a 4 hour break. I however, have been on the clock for 21 hours on several occasions and nothing was ever said. Now this was when I was a supervisor and not directly taking care of people just taking care of crisis after crisis....

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Mandatory overtime is a lawsuit waiting to happen!

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there is a ltf in our area that reqires the nurse and cna on a certain hall to be the one who will be the one to stay if a a call-in occurs..if you are working that hall then you make arrangements for family needs in advance

however there are child care and adult day care that have strict limits on how late you can be in picking up - fatigue,as has been mentioned is a critical concern

BUT, your family and your license are more important than any job . make decisions that are best for your life and happiness

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Specializes in CT ,ICU,CCU,Tele,ED,Hospice.

we have mandated ot which i was not told about until after i was hired .i work 12 hr shifts i can only be mandated another 4 hrs for total 16 hrs then there has to be 8 hrs before my next shift starts .if you work 8 hrs you can be mandated for 8 hrs more.there are exceptions to i can be mandated .i can't be if the next day is the start of my vacation ,or if the shift i am working is already an extra shift /ot .

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

check with your state they may have a maximum number of hours one can work without at least a 8 hour break. Myself i will NOT work over 18 in a 24 hour period. Any more, outside of a regional catastrophe would be dangerous for patients and staff.

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Specializes in Critical Care,Recovery, ED.

Essentially mandatory OT is an issue either determined by state law (some states outlaw it while others severely restrict its use) or your employers policies in absence of state law. Regardless of your employers wishes you could always refuse MOT. Granted there might be discipline involved but the choice is always yours. Also check your Nurse Practice Act, most states specifically state that refusing MOT is not patient abandonement, so don't let them threaten you with abandonment.

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Specializes in A myriad of specialties.
Mandatory overtime is a lawsuit waiting to happen!

One would indeed think so. However, when I worked for a state-run facility, it was an understanding when hired that you could be mandated to work overtime but no more than 16 hrs total. Some of the state-run units permit an hour break between the two shifts (for childcare issues or some sort of arangement to be made). We did have a clause that prevented any mandates on a person's Friday (last workday) of a week. I feel sorry for those who get mandated 2-3 times every week; after doing so many hours, it seems people get worn down, become ill and THEN have to use sick time(which feeds into the vicious cycle of mandating others). It's NOT a good thing. Unfortunately, nothing can be done about it.:madface:

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Specializes in cardiac.

Mandatory overtime....Hummmmmm...And they wonder why there's a nursing shortage?:nono:

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Thank you all for your replies. I was just wondering how this worked. I didn't think that one would be permitted to work more than 16-18 hours, but you never know with nursing. I currently don't have any childcare issues to deal with, so that is not a concern at the moment.

Just wondering about a piece of the puzzle we call nursing.

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