Working overtime signifies many variables such as working over 40 hours every week, mandatory as well as voluntary overtime, working paid shifts, extended shifts and working two shifts back to back (Kunaviktikul et.al.). The institute of medicine (2004) recommends nurses to avoid working beyond 12 hours per day and past 60 hours in a week, but the recommendation is often not followed through in the nursing profession (as cited in hahtela, paavilainen, mccormack, slater, helminen, suominen, 2015, p. 932). Nurses are perceived to be the once that are mandated to work overtime in the healthcare facility compared to any other health care professionals (Golden & Wiens-Tuers, 2005 as cited in Bae & Brewer, 2010, p.99). Increased physical injuries …show more content…
This paper will explore the leadership issue; nurses working overtime, the consequences it has on their health as well as the healthcare system and how that leadership issue has influenced various nursing issues such economical, political and …show more content…
Many alterations have been made in the lawmaking when it comes to nursing practice (cite textbook. P.6). Nurses, members of Nursing associations, other health care professionals (Price, 2000, p.75) and lawmakers (Reed, 2001) were involved in advocating for a change related to overtime hours and staff shortage. In 1999, 400 health care providers, including nurses that were a part of the District of Columbia Nurses association stopped their jobs and started a protest for a day against staff shortage and mandatory overtime. A few months after this incident, several nurses and members of nursing association from New York, Massachusetts and California started a protest against the same issue (Price, 2000, p.75). Laws against mandatory overtime was initiated in many states in America since the year 2000, in hopes of preventing nurses working overtime and extended hours (Price, 2000; Reed). This law was regulated in 16 different states (Bae, Brewer & Kovner) at both provincial and national levels (Reed). It allows nurses to refuse to work more than their regular hours that have been established in advanced, unless there is an unexpected catastrophe. This law also inhibits nurses to work over 12 hours in a day or work above 48 hours in a week (Bae, 2012; Bae, Brewer & Kovner). The American nurses association (ANA) targeted other associations that represent nurses in