Mandatory Overtime

We’ve looked at Resident and Medical Student work hours, but what about nurses. In this recent article, "Overtime imposed on nurses," Canadian nurses are struggling with nursing shortages and mandatory overtime.

Is it right to mandate overtime with or without compensation?

There are those that believe this is wrong and others who believe that patient care comes first and if you are in the healthcare field, it is a responsibility whether you like it or not.

Should nurses who are paid hourly and hired in for a specific schedule have to make other daycare arrangements, cancel other appointments, miss family functions, miss out on dinner, movie or other engagements just because a hospital cannot fill their positions?

If a nurse refuses, can he/she be penalized, suspended or fired as they are doing in Canada?

There are studies showing that tired nurses are at risk of making more errors. These can be dangerous and place patients at risk and the hospital in a liability risk. According to the Gazette article, a representative from one of the hospital, “denied that all the overtime was putting patients' lives at risk: ‘I don't think there should be any fears.’"

Staffing continues to be a problem nationwide and we need to ensure that we are doing everything possible to recruit and retain our nursing staff.

They are our invaluable asset to patient care!