New Nurses Work Overtime, Long Shifts, Second Jobs

New nurses are predominantly working 12-hour shifts and nearly half work overtime, trends that have remained relatively stable over the past decade, finds a new study by researchers at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. In addition, 13 percent hold a second job, according to the study published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing. Changes in health policy in recent years—from the passage of the Affordable Care Act and increased access to health care to the recession, which delayed some nurses’ retirements—have had implications for nurses and the hours they work.