mandatory overtime

The government should regulate, rather than eliminate compulsory overtime since this practice may be beneficial to nurses depending on their individual needs. In other words, the state should determine when mandatory overtime is appropriate or inappropriate instead of prohibiting it. Some nurses view mandatory overtime as a voluntary duty, which helps them to earn additional pay. They are often motivated to put in more work hours to make ends meet (Stimpfel, Sloane & Aiken, 2013). This situation mainly arises because there is a blurred line between voluntary and mandatory overtime. The government should, therefore, regulate this practice to ensure that it benefits nurses before it can help healthcare organizations.

Further, health institutions should not subject nurses to disciplinary action when they refuse working overtime since such nurses may cause significant and unforeseen damage. Refusing to work overtime does not mean that a nurse has abandoned a patient and thus, this must not warrant disciplinary action (Huston, 2013). Employers should respect a nurse’s decision not to work overtime because any coerced nurse may contribute to severe patient outcomes and practice errors. Nurses’ autonomy to work considerably determines the quality of services that healthcare institution provides (Wheatley, 2017). Other regulatory bodies like the State Board of Nursing (SBN) should also avoid disciplining nurses who refuse working overtime. Instead, the SBN should collaborate with employers to encourage nurses or give them incentives (pay increase, bonuses and so forth) to work overtime.

Finally, nurses can contribute to the reduction of mandatory overtime through their unions. For example, they can use their nursing unions to negotiate contract language, which is essential in decreasing mandatory overtime (Huston, 2013). The unions can do this by discussing with health institutions the best way to implement compulsory overtime. For instance, they can consider how to make mandatory overtime the last option rather than the first choice during emergencies.

References

Huston, C. J. (2013). Professional issues in nursing: Challenges and opportunities. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Stimpfel, A. W., Sloane, D. M., & Aiken, L. H. (2012). The longer the shifts for hospital nurses, the higher the levels of burnout and patient dissatisfaction. Health Affairs, 31(11), 2501-2509.

doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2011.1377
Wheatley, C. (2017). Nursing overtime: Should it be regulated.” Nursing Economics, 35(4), 213-217.