Poll shows managers shun forcing nurses on overtime
Majority prefers working short to hiring floaters
When census rises and patient acuity jumps, are you likely to require that your unit’s staff nurses work overtime to cover shortages and maintain appropriate coverage?
A survey conducted by the American Associa-tion of Critical Care Nurses (AACN), in Aliso Viejo, CA, found that a large majority — nearly 79% — of nurses reported they would handle high-acuity spurts and insufficient staffing by asking nurses to volunteer for overtime.
In fact, they would rather work with fewer staff than resort to hiring registry or floater nurses. Exactly 63.6% stated they would rather work short than hire extra help. The total number of respondents surveyed was 140. (See graph on p. 113.)
Less than 22% stated they would force nurses to work extra shifts, and less than half that number reported resorting to mandatory extra scheduled workdays.
"The results aren’t surprising," says Patricia Johnson, RN, a nurse consultant to neonatal ICUs in Phoenix. "You would rather have a nurse who is committed and reliable covering shortages than someone who is being forced to work extra."
However, 45% stated they would use an agency or traveling nurse if necessary, and 57.9% would enlist a float nurse from another unit. One in two respondents stated they would prefer to use a charge nurse or clinical nurse specialist to fill vacancies as needed.
However, there are limits to the voluntary approach. "Up to a certain point you lose the advantage of getting optimum productivity from your nurses if they continue to agree to work the overtime," Johnson says.
The survey, which was published in July, was one in a series of informal polls conducted by AACN to gauge popular sentiment among members on key nursing issues. The poll was not intended as a scientific survey, and should not be construed as one, according to Marilyn Petterson, editor of AACN News, the nursing group’s monthly newspaper.
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