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HARRISBURG, May 22 -- The state House of Representatives has passed legislation that would prohibit hospitals and other health-care facilities from requiring nurses and other patient-care workers to work beyond their regularly agreed-to shifts.
State Rep. Babette Josephs, D-Phila., said this bill is important for both worker and patient safety.
"By eliminating mandatory overtime in hospitals and other health-care facilities, this bill would help our nurses do the best job they possibly can while ensuring patients continue to receive quality care," Josephs said.
The bill, which Josephs co-sponsored, would provide exceptions in the case of emergencies and when health-care workers are required to stay beyond their regular shift to complete a patient procedure. It also would allow nurses to continue to volunteer for overtime.
But prohibiting mandatory overtime as a routine staffing strategy would reduce the number of nurses who leave the profession because of burnout, and reduce the number of patient-care errors that drive up the cost of health care, she said.
"Because of the added strain placed on nurses who must work 16-hour or double shifts and have 80-hour work weeks, I believe this bill will go a long way to reducing malpractice incidents in the state."
The House passed the legislation (H.B. 834) by a vote of 166-31. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.
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