She works a combination of the three jobs for an average of 32 hours a week, with the option of turning down agency or substitute assignments if they don't fit her schedule or are too far away. Miller said the level of pay still doesn't equal the level of stress. There are so many things that need your immediate attention, lots of interruptions. But hospitals don't call agency people in if they can get staff members to work a double shift. This practice of mandatory overtime leads to complaints about working conditions and turnover, which can lead to use of agency nurses to fill in vacancies.
Many hospitals claim the nursing shortage as the reason to mandate overtime . . .