Pa. nurses gain victory in long drive to ban forced O.T.

[billyoc]

Pennsylvania nurses breathed a collective sigh of relief last week with the passage of a bill banning mandatory overtime at all health-care facilities in the state.

The bill, which took seven years to pass, ensures that nurses and other caregivers will not be forced to work double shifts - a common practice at hospitals and other facilities, and one that can be dangerous for nurses and patients alike.

According to a 2004 study by University of Pennsylvania researcher Ann Rogers, the risk of medical error was as much as three times higher when a nurse worked a shift of 12 1/2 hours or longer.

"Some of these nurses are working for 18, 24 hours without a break," state Sen. Christine Tartaglione said. "And, in a lot of cases, they're the last line of defense for a patient. If they're tired, if they're not on top of their games, it could be a life-or-death situation."

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/30880454.html