New Nurses Work Overtime, Long Shifts, and Sometimes a Second Job

New nurses are predominantly working 12-hour shifts and nearly half work overtime, trends that have remained relatively stable over the past decade, according to a new study by researchers at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. Amy Witkoski Stimpfel, PhD, RN, assistant professor at NYU Meyers, and colleagues analyzed surveys from more than 4,500 newly licensed nurses in 13 states and Washington, D.C., reports ScienceDaily . They found newly licensed nurses work an average of 39.4 hours a week, predominantly in 12-hour shifts. Twelve percent of nurses report working mandatory overtime (an average of less than an hour in a typical week), and nearly half (45.6 percent) work voluntary overtime (an average of three hours in a typical week). The study, published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing, also reveals that more than 13 percent report having a second paid job. Over the past decade, there was a decline in both mandatory and voluntary overtime during the economic recession by about an hour per week, but overtime hours rose for nurses first licensed in 2014-2015. Changes in health policy in recent years, such as the passage of the Affordable Care Act, have had implications for nurses. Stimpfel says she wanted to understand what these changes have meant for the newest generation of nurses.