Are 12 hour shifts going extinct?

[MunoRN]

A hospital in my region recently announced all staff will be transitioning to 8 hour shifts over the next year, 12 hour shifts will no longer be available. The word from my Hospital and others in the area is that they plan on making this change in the near future as well.

As someone who's worked an 8 hour night shift schedule, I don't agree that 5 night shifts a week is less fatiguing than 3, but that's the argument they are making. I personally could not handle working a full time 8 hour night schedule when I did it in the past, although I handle 3 12's a week now just fine, and I was younger when I worked 8's so I'm pretty sure it would kill me if I tried doing that now.

Is it just my area that's making this move? If other areas have tried it, has it worked?

[BunnySan27]

I work 12s I've always worked 12s....I wouldn't want it any other way. You get way more days off in a month then you would if you worked 8s only.

[Marshall1]

I work PRN at a hospital that has 12's and 8's..what schedule issues arise is when an 8 and a 12 don't meet up...meaning there is a 4 hr shift from 3p-7p or 7p-11p to be covered. For extra $ some nurse pick up the 4 hr shifts but its mostly covered by float pool people. I think some of the swing back to 8 hr shifts is because many older nurses, at least where I work, complain that 12 hrs (which is really 13-14 tacking on report etc) becomes to difficult for them..the age population of nursing is growing older, many nurses, because of the economy, are working long (more years) than before...that coupled with the uninsured/medicare/medicaid/insurance cut backs hospitals are hiring less often so new grads are floundering trying to find a job. I have tried for months to get something more than PRN - because at least where I'm at the PRN's don't get a lot because nurses are picking up more overtime to cover rising costs, spouses losing jobs,etc. I personally would love a part time 8 hr position.

[Anisettes, BSN, RN]

In my OR we have a mix of 8's and 10's - no 12's. Our ICU only does 12's. It may just be your particular hospital is trying something else - more than likely financially related.

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

We have a mix of 8's and 12's, but we currently are only hiring in at 32hr/week, 8 hr shifts. This is the trend here. The reasoning is that it is easier to cover an 8 if there are call ins, and the 32 hr people are more adapt to work extra time if needed since they probably really wanted 72 or 80 hours . But with the way lay offs are going around all our hospitals, even the large teaching hospitals no one is doing too much complaining.

[melmarie23, MSN, RN]

not for my unit. We do 12s. I prefer it for L&D. Its good for continuity of care.

[belgarion]

No way my hospital would do this. It would mean adding a couple of more shifts. While the total amount of pay would be close to the same it would mean the hospital paying for more employee benefits. Guess who would end up paying for that. Our benefits are practically non-existant now, they'd get even worse with more employees added into the mix.

[Tait, MSN, RN]

I need to do some research but I thought 12's were preferred over 8's because of increased continuity of patient care, decreased errors related to less handoffs per day, and increased patient satisfaction related to patients "knowing" their nurses better. Though I am sure this wouldn't be the first time a hospital did something that wasn't evidence based.

[nicenurselpn, LPN]

Right now my facility has a shortage of nurses. In my opinion if they went to 12 hour shifts, there wouldnt be so many holes in the schedule. One unit in my facility has been doing 12 hour shifts for the past couple of years. There is only one day of the week that they need to bring in other staff for that unit. I want to work 12 hour shifts!!! I would love to have more time at home.

[Jenni811, RN]

They better not. i personally think 8 hour shifts are going extinct. They are not taking 8 hour shifts away from people, but we just are not hiring 8 hours anymore. everyone is hired as a 12 hour. we are able to work 8 hours though, of course! and once in a blue moon we get an 8 hour on our schedule, like if we would be over our FTE if we went 12.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

It is the opposite in these parts. Most hospitals here have eliminated 8 hour shifts and gone completely to 12s.

[RedRobin8]

I love my 12 hour shifts, although we do have some 8's sprinkled in here and there. I heard from a former California nurse that one disadvantage of ever becoming a unionized hospital (not a risk here) is that only 8 hour shift are allowed. I would work elsewhere if that happened.

[Jael11]

Personally as a Nurse 12 hr/3-4 days shifts over 8hr/5days shifts anyday. It just works out better.

It leaves more days for Nurses to rest, to catch up on studies, family time, and happy hour.

I say yes to 12hr/3-4 days, nay to 8hr/5 days.