When can a health care employer require nurses to work overtime?
• A patient care emergency, as determined by the health care employer, and used only as a last resort after the Nurse Coverage Plan has been implemented; • A federal, state, or county declaration of emergency in the county or a contiguous county in which the nurse is employed; • A health care disaster as reasonably determined by the health care employer; or • An ongoing medical or surgical procedure in which the nurse is actively engaged and whose continued presence through the completion of the procedure is needed to ensure the health and safety of the patient. |top| Q: What is considered a “patient care emergency”? A: A “patient care emergency” means a situation that is unforeseen and could not be prudently planned for, which requires the continued presence of the nurse to provide safe patient care. Before requiring an on-duty nurse to work beyond his or her regularly scheduled work hours to address a patient care emergency, the health care employer must make a good faith effort to h
Related Questions
- May an employer require an individual to go to a health care professional of the employers (rather than the employees) choice for purposes of documenting need for accommodation and disability?
- Can an employer require a nurse to work longer than scheduled, or to work overtime? How many consecutive hours or shifts can a nurse work?
- When can a health care employer require nurses to work overtime?
