I am new to nursing in Fl. Where I work they keep scheduling me for 40 hour weeks, but that is 2 days of 16 hour shifts and one day later in the week of straight 8. I am exhaused after the first 16 hours shift, and by the end of that I feel woozy when doing dose calculations. I get no overtime and understand I will be let go if I complain. Is this legal?

Check the Florida Labor Statutes. Some States, like mine, have a rule that allows workers to earn OT after 8 hours in a day, or 40 hours in a week. You can always inquire without fear of retribution. If you find anything interesting, call an attorney, or a Union Steward. (You said you are a Nurse right)

Andrew, she's not questioning the pay (in any case, Florida does not have a daily overtime requirement). She's questioning the safety of having nurses who are working double shifts with short rest periods care for patients.

OP, contact the Board of Nursing or similar in your state. But seriously, I doubt that there is such a restriction, as don't new doctors often work 24 hours straight?

There are a few states where nursing is one of the few professions with a mandated break between shifts; however, I am not certain if FL is one of them. As suggested, the state nursing board should be able to say for certain.

For the record, CA, AK, NV and in some, but not all, circumstances CO are the only states with a daily overtime requirement.

Sorry, I guess my assumption that the subject in this thread was Overtime was incorrect. So, I guess the Overtime Laws forum is now open to all subjects. How about those Mets!

Andrew, we get all manner of questions in all the forums. We just kinda try to go with the flow. :)

For me, this falls under a matter of Pick Your Battles. In the overall scheme of things, putting something into the exactly correct forum is small potatoes in comparison with some of the other problems we get here. And there was an overtime issue; daily vs. weekly.

But yeah, how about those Mets indeed?

Oops, I just went back and read the original post again. I missed that sentence about overtime. My bad. :o Sorry, Andrew.