A Michigan nurse with 17 years of experience is advocating for legislation that would ban hospitals from requiring nurses to work beyond their scheduled shifts except in emergencies.
- Katie Pontifex says long shifts can lead to medical errors.
- Nurses can often work up to 18 hours straight, affecting patient safety.
- Proposed legislation would only allow mandatory overtime during declared emergencies.
WATCH: Michigan nurses push for limits on mandatory overtime
Katie Pontifex has spent 17 years as a registered nurse, a career she describes as rewarding but challenging, especially when it comes to working hours.
"When I worked my 12-hour shift, if I wasn't done or there wasn't a nurse there to relieve me, I had to stay. So often times I would see shifts upwards of 16 to 18 hours," Pontifex said.
These extended hours don't just mean missing time with family. They create serious concerns for patient care.
"This can lead to an increase in medical errors, burnout for the profession as a whole ,and it really increases the risk to the patient who's receiving the care from the nurse," Pontifex said.
Legislation currently being considered at the Michigan Capitol would prohibit hospitals from requiring nurses to work beyond their scheduled shifts except during declared emergencies or mass casualty incidents.
"This is just something to curb that excessive use of overtime and put it back on the nurse to know," Pontifex said.
The Michigan Health and Hospital Association, however, warns that such restrictions could create challenges for healthcare facilities already struggling with staffing shortages. According to the association, Michigan hospitals are currently looking to hire 4,700 nurses amid a nationwide nursing shortage.
Michigan Health and Hospital Association CEO Brian Peters said in a statement: "Requiring nurses to work overtime is rarely used, but hospitals and nursing leaders need the flexibility to make decisions that may require staff to work outside of their normal schedules to ensure patient care when unforeseen circumstances occur in their local communities."
Pontifex acknowledges that unexpected situations arise, but maintains that after a 12-hour shift, nurses should have the right to decline additional hours.
"If you're asking me to stay over beyond that, I should be able to say no," Pontifex said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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