CNA contracts include strong staffing and patient advocacy provisions and groundbreaking bans on mandatory overtime. CNA nurses are in the forefront of a growing movement of nurses acting locally and nationally on healthcare issues, such as safe staffing ratios and banning mandatory overtime. CNA successfully passed the first staffing ratios legislation in the country, to require minimum nurse to patient ratios for all California hospital units as of January 2002. In fact, staffing is often insufficient to allow for breaks. Every study shows that we provide better, safer care when we have regular breaks.
Nurses have a professional as well as personal responsibility to protect our breaks.
New state regulations penalize employ-ers who fail to provide rest and lunch breaks for their employees. You now must get your legally-required breaks and lunch, or you're eligible for penalty pay of up to 2 hours extra salary per day. These penalties will be a significant financial incentive for hospitals to provide sufficient coverage so breaks can be taken. As you're aware, many employers use mandatory overtime as a substitute for appropriate planned staffing. Exhausted nurses are more prone to errors, endangering patients and RN licenses.