New Ohio Legislation Would Ban Mandatory Overtime For Nurses
An Ohio House legislator introduced a new bill in March that would ban mandatory overtime for nurses, a move which supporters claim could greatly reduce mistakes at the bedside and increase nurse retention rates. If House Bill 144 is approved, Ohio would become the 19th state to implement a mandatory overtime ban for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses. “House Bill 144 stands up for Ohio’s nurses, which play a crucial and influential role in the treatment of patients,” Republican Rep. Don Manning, who introduced the legislation, said in a press release. “This bill makes patient safety the highest priority, and no one should have their nursing license or employment threatened for declining unscheduled overtime after a scheduled shift.” A ban on mandatory overtime means employers could not use it as a condition of employment, and nurses would be protected from discipline, retaliation or termination for choosing to not work overtime, according to the bill’s text. A similar bill was introduced in 2018 and passed the House almost unanimously, but failed to garner enough support in the Senate before the end of the legislative session. The Ohio Nurses Association announced their support of the bill in a recent press release. The union argues this legislation would help reduce work fatigue, and pointed out how studies have found a correlation between fatigue and an increased chance of medical errors. “…Furthermore, nurse burnout increases with regular extended shifts, leading to costly nurse-turnover for healthcare facilities,” Brian Burger, President of the Ohio Nurses Association stated in a press release. “The needs and safety of the patient and nurse need to be put first instead of trying to cut initial costs by using mandatory overtime to plug nurse staffing holes.” The Ohio Hospital Association has not released a statement about the current bill, but did argue against the 2018 version of the bill, according to a Becker’s Hospital Review report.