Stop Mandatory Overtime and Improve Working Conditions for Our Nurses

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Stop Mandatory Overtime and Improve Working Conditions for Our Nurses

Stand up for improving working conditions for nurses and improving the quality of healthcare by sending a letter to your members of Congress urging them to co-sponsor legislation that ends mandatory overtime and establishes reasonable nurse-patient ratios.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Stop Mandatory Overtime and Improve Working Conditions for Our Nurses

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I am writing today because I am deeply concerned about the common practice of forcing our nation's nurses to perform mandatory overtime and to work in healthcare facilities that are inadequately staffed. I believe that the shortage of nurses in this country will continue or worsen, and the quality of healthcare will decline, unless working conditions for nurses improve.

A survey conducted by AFT Healthcare, the healthcare division of the American Federation of Teachers, found that 20 percent of practicing nurses are seriously considering leaving the profession in the next five years. The reasons cited were excessive patient loads, mandatory overtime and other unacceptable working conditions. However, nurses did report that they would stay- and those who have left the profession would return - if staffing levels were improved, mandatory overtime banned and salaries raised.

The routine use of mandatory overtime to compensate for inadequate staffing contributes significantly to nurses' frustration and lowers the quality of healthcare. Identical legislation, (S.1842) introduced by Edward Kennedy (D- Mass.) in the Senate and H.R. 2122, introduced by Reps. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) and Steven LaTourette (R- Ohio) in the House, prohibits hospitals from requiring nurses to work overtime, except in cases of a government-declared state of emergency. The bill also allows nurses to voluntarily work a reasonable number of overtime hours if the nurses believe they are able to adequately and professionally perform their duties.

In addition, I urge you to support H.R. 2123, introduced by Rep. Janice Schakowsky(D-Ill.) which would establish minimum nurse/patient staffing ratios based on the acuity of the patients' needs. More than 30 major studies have demonstrated the harmful effects of inadequate staffing including unnecessary deaths of patients.

I urge you to co-sponsor these important bills, which will help increase the quality of patient care and improve working conditions for our nation's nurses.

Please tell me where you stand.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
April 09, 2008

Background Information

Two bills have been introduced in Congress that will improve working conditions for nurses and improve patient care.

The Safe Nursing and Patient Care Act of 2007 (H.R. 2122 and S. 1842), prevents any hospital, or other healthcare provider, that receives Medicare funding from requiring registered nurses to work in excess of:

their scheduled work shift or duty period, or
12 hours in a 24-hour period, or
80 hours in a consecutive 14-day period, except in cases of emergency as declared by the federal government or appropriate state and government agencies.

The other bill, the Nurse Staffing Standards Act for Patient Safety and Quality Care Act of 2007 (H.R. 2123) provides for mandated nurse-to-patient ratios based on the acuity of the patients' needs and the registered nurses necessary to care for those patients. For example, it provides a 1:1 ratio for a patient in operating units and trauma units, one nurse for every two patients in critical care units, and one nurse for every four patients in intermediate care units.

Enactment of these two bills will improve the working conditions for all nurses as well as the quality of care patients receive.

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