Caregivers Speak Out
"My wife and I were both mandated to work on the same day. If it wasn’t for a family member who just happened to be available to pick our kids up from daycare, I don’t know what we would have done."
— Tod Warner, registered nurse, Warren, PA
"After 12 hours, you’re sleep deprived. I may pass thousands of pills after being mandated and I’m responsible for the care of up to 48 residents. I worry about missing things. I wouldn’t want my mother cared for by someone who hadn’t had any rest."
— Lora Patrick, licensed practical nurse, Waynesburg, PA
"We are being mandated to work much more overtime – to often past the point of safety. After 16 hours on the job, you run the risk of making an error or missing something. And in a prison setting, if you miss something, you put yourself, your co-workers, and your community at risk."
— Mike Mondich, registered nurse, Mercer, PA
"Mandating is counter-productive. It burns you out mentally and physically. Our work is something we take pride in, so workers quit because they can’t take the stress. After lifting residents for ten or twelve hours, you aren’t as strong or as sharp as you normally are. You risk missing something or dropping a resident, and people just burn-out."
— Elaine Oley, certified nurse assistant, Frackville, PA
For a more comprehensive report on what caregivers are saying about mandatory overtime and how it affects patients and caregivers, download testimony from House and Senate Committee Hearings:
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