What are your thoughts on overtime? Is it a good thing or bad thing?

[Rebaracer]

Hello everyone! I am doing a blog entry for school and the topic is "overtime". I was just wondering what your thoughts were in regards to this subject. Should there be a cap on the amount of overtime a nurse works in a year? Is it appropriate for management to work short-staffed in order to avoid paying overtime? ( I work in a nursing home where we have 96 residents: 2 nurses on night shift...if one of the nurses calls in sick, and the shift cannot be replaced at regular time, instead of replacing the shift at overtime they call in a special care aide and the nurse is responsible for the entire facility) Is this appropriate?

[vald96]

you have to check staffing regulation,in my facility a licensed nurse ratio is 1:40 at night.Day shift is 1 to 30 residents, long term care must be in compliance with staffing ratio to meet the residents needs.

[evolvingrn, BSN, RN]

We don't do mandatory overtime, which is a good thing because our staffing is HORRIBLE. but the problem is they are bringing in agency to fill in the gaps and they are really a hassle. Last night i was a float and i spent most of my float responsibilities helping an agency rn who comes on a reg basis (at least 2 x a weeK) even with her regularity .....its not the same as a staff rn. i would rather have someone on overtime than outside agency.

[Orange Tree]

I think it should be like that AMEX card where your limit is set only by your history. I know people who can work every day for weeks and do well. People like me, on the other hand, become delirious after only two days.

[CharmedJ7]

I have to be pro-overtime if it's a matter of overtime vs. working understaffed. In an effort to save money my hospital seems to be severely limiting overtime - what this ends up meaning is that we very often have few to no techs or unit secretary and often too few nurses. Honestly, I'd like to see something like if we're short a tech that 12-hr tech salary be divided evenly among the nurses working and picking up the slack - it should NOT be cost-effective to stress out and overwork the nurses! Oh, and haha, they're also trying to cut down and penalize nurses for working 'overtime' ie, staying after their shift ends (b/c, of course, we just do that for the extra money .

Overtime isn't a problem in and of itself. If a nurse is ridiculously tired and/or ineffective for WHATEVER reason, that's a separate issue. I do not however, support mandatory overtime.

[Jules A, MSN]

From a personal stand point I LOVE it and grab as much as I can.