How many hours do they give you?

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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If you work the night shift as a CNA or HHA, what is your schedule like for you if you work full time? Can you choose to work 12 hour shifts 7 days a week?

Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.
I thought a 12 hour night shift has about 7 hours of downtime

And you assumed this based on what?

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
I thought a 12 hour night shift has about 7 hours of downtime

When I worked nights I was lucky to have 30 minutes of down time to grab a snack and use the rest room. There was ALWAYS something to do even with a lower patient census.

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When I worked nights I was lucky to have 30 minutes of down time to grab a snack and use the rest room. There was ALWAYS something to do even with a lower patient census.

Were you CNA or HHA?

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Where i use to work @ i worked 84 hours a pay period n u got all the over time u wanted... At my new job i work 64 hours a pay period n they never allow over time unless they really really have to...

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
Were you CNA or HHA?

I was an emergency department multi skilled technician/EMT. At times they floated us to the telemetry or critical care floors if census was high on the floor and low in the ED. On the floor we worked as CNAs. Now I'm a nurse and have worked days, evenings, nights short & 14-16hr shifts in home health /private duty.

There is/was always something to be done. (As a nurse the patient qualified for night shift hours because they require skilled nursing to monitor & respond to their condition(s) )

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Specializes in hospice.
I thought a 12 hour night shift has about 7 hours of downtime

As someone with two years of 12 hour night shifts under my belt, in both hospital and hospice inpatient, I don't know whether to :roflmao:, :crying2:, or :mad: at that.

I think I'll just :no: and move on. Oh dear Lord, is this person in for a rude awakening....

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Specializes in Critical Care.
I thought a 12 hour night shift has about 7 hours of downtime

First off, every hospital is different. I work PRN as a CNA/PCT and I'm scheduled to work 8 hrs/5days a week. Some units have a shortage of techs so I always volunteer to stay the full 12 hr shift, so I regularly work about 52-60 hours a week. The units that I stay in know how I do my job well and they are ok with the overtime pay. Let me state that I work in the Float Pool...which means I go to ANY unit between two hospitals in my area. So if they are short they call me :3

Also, don't let anyone tell you that night shift is the *easy going down time* shift. I normally work the ER, Medical ICU, Cardio ICU and Post Anesthesia. When I stay a bit longer into the night shift, the night shifters are always on point working hard running everywhere. I don't see them having much of any *down time* True they don't have trays, but they may have other duties they have to complete like Blood sugars, vitals, I'Os, transporting, helping the nurses out and even trying to prevent patients from getting up from bed that are a fall risk. I don't know why but on nights patients have this sense to want to spring out of bed...and when that bed alarm goes off (especially on a confused patient) you are running back and fourth :/

Like I stated every hospital is different with their policies.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

**OH...and in the ER...there is no such thing as downtime...the night shifters work just as hard as we do during the day :)

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I work 8 hour shifts 4 days a week. Then there is usually a day I stay and work 7-7, and some weeks they'll call us out because we're "overstaffed". So my hours vary, but usually I'm at 32.

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Why would you ever want to work seven 12-hour shifts a week? Do you not want a life outside of work? That is 12 hours a day for sleeping, eating, family time, housework, and true free time. You will burn out extremely fast. Not to mention its awful for your health d/t lack of sleep, and fatigue. Fatigue leads to making errors and falling asleep on the job. I just wrote a paper on the topic and if you want my references I'd be happy to oblige.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, ICU.
If you work the night shifts wouldn't you have plenty of downtime so that you don't burn ou?

Down time on night shift is not always true. Most patients don't sleep on night shift because they sleep so much during the day and with less people available on night shift it's a lot more stress

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