Bill to limit nurse overtime reintroduced in the U.S.
WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES — A bill that would limit mandatory overtime for nurses has been reintroduced, which would address the U.S. healthcare staffing shortage dilemma crippling hospital systems nationwide.
The Nurse Overtime and Patient Safety Act was initially proposed in 2020 and reintroduced on March 5, 2024. According to the bill, employers cannot require a nurse to work in excess of:
- a previously scheduled work shift or duty period of the nurse, regardless of the length of the shift;
- 48 hours in any workweek; or
- 12 consecutive hours in a 24-hour period; or
- during the 10-hour period immediately following the 12th hour worked in a shift or duty period during a 24-hour period.
The bill also noted that required meetings, training workshops, or hours when the nurse is on standby are also part of their work hours.
The legislation includes exceptions during emergencies, in which nurses can be asked to work overtime until the immediate issue is resolved.
Also, if an on-shift nurse’s patient’s health might be compromised if he/she is transferred to another staff, then the nurse is required to render overtime.
In addition, the bill’s whistleblower protection clause protects nurses who disclose that their employer is not following the overtime bill.
Hospitals and health systems that do not follow the guidance proposed in the legislation could be fined $10,000 per violation. Health organizations are required to post a schedule of their nurses for the department involved.
Eighteen states have similar laws restricting mandatory overtime for nurses. If the bill is passed, the restrictions would apply nationwide.
More than 40 organizations, including the American Nurses Association and National Nurses United, have backed the bill so far.
