Roughly half of registered nurses and licensed practical nurses reported working overtime regularly, according to the recently released Medscape RN/LPN Salary Report 2016.
Medscape surveyed 4,065 RNs and 1,688 LPNs about their earnings, benefits and work hours. Here are five statistics on their overtime and benefits, pulled form the survey.
1. Of the 47 percent of RNs who reported working regular overtime, 54 percent work between one and five extra hours per week, 32 percent work six to 10 hours overtime weekly, and 15 percent reported working 11 hours or more each week.
2. Of the 52 percent of LPNs who reported working overtime regularly, most (59 percent) work one to six extra hours each week. Twenty-seven percent of LPNs said they worked six to 10 hours overtime weekly, and 14 percent said they worked 11 hours or more overtime weekly.
3. RNs who work in a skilled nursing facility or another long-term care facility are more likely to work overtime than RNs who work at any other type of location: 59 percent of RNs in SNFs reported working overtime. Here are the rest of locations:
- Academic setting (faculty): 56 percent
- Home health/visiting nurse: 52 percent
- Hospital-inpatient care: 49 percent
- Nonhospital-based medical office/urgent care clinic: 46 percent
- Hospital-based outpatient setting or clinic: 44 percent
- School/college health service: 41 percent
- Military/government: 36 percent
- Public health/occupational health setting: 31 percent
4. Similarly, 64 percent of LPNs working in a SNF or other long-term care setting reported working overtime, making them more likely than LPNs working elsewhere to put in extra hours. Broken down by location:
- Hospital-inpatient care: 58 percent
- Home health/visiting nurse: 56 percent
- Hospital-based outpatient setting or clinic: 51 percent
- Nonhospital-based medical office/urgent care clinic: 48 percent
- School/college health service: 38 percent
- Public health/occupational health setting: 35 percent
5. Paid time off and health insurance are the most commonly offered benefit for RNs and LPNs — 96 percent of RNs said they received both; 92 percent of LPNs said they were offered PTO and 90 percent were offered health insurance. Other benefits include:
- Education allowance/reimbursement
- RNs: 67 percent
- LPNs: 41 percent
- Professional society membership dues
- RNs: 14 percent
- LPNs: 6 percent
- Paid parental leave
- RNs: 20 percent
- LPNs: 14 percent