Wisconsin Federation of Nurses: Mandatory Overtime Hurts Patient Care

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.laborradio.org/node/8652

By Doug Cunningham

When overtime is forced on nurses, patients suffer. That picture emerges from a survey of nurses done by the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals in Milwaukee. Forty-two percent fo the nurses surveyed were forced to work overtime at least twice a month and 12 percent says overtime is forced on them at least once a week. The Wisconsin Federation of Nurses & Health Professional say mandatory overtime increases nurse fatigue, which contributes to errors made in patient care.