7/70 Scheduling-Anyone have experience?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi,

This is my first post on AllNurses, but I have been reading the Forums for about two years now.

I am going to graduate from Nursing School this May, and the hospital that I am interested in has a 7/70 schedule for nurses in most departments.

They work seven 10 hour days and then have 7 days off. No on-call and they don't rotate shifts.

Does anyone have experience working this schedule? I would be interested in pros and cons.

Do you feel that working 70 hours in one week compromises patient safety and increases the risk of errors?

How nice is it to have 7 days off in a row?

Thank you in advance for your input.

I don't have any experience with it, but boy, sounds like something I would really like.

Hi,

This is my first post on AllNurses, but I have been reading the Forums for about two years now.

I am going to graduate from Nursing School this May, and the hospital that I am interested in has a 7/70 schedule for nurses in most departments.

They work seven 10 hour days and then have 7 days off. No on-call and they don't rotate shifts.

Does anyone have experience working this schedule? I would be interested in pros and cons.

Do you feel that working 70 hours in one week compromises patient safety and increases the risk of errors?

How nice is it to have 7 days off in a row?

Thank you in advance for your input.

I think it would be too exhausting.

We work 7 12 hour night shifts in a row, then we're off for a week. We work 36 hours one week and 48 hours the second week, so we get about 8 hours of overtime each 2 week pay period.

I think that it would be a very overwhelming schedule for anyone, but especially a new grad. That's not meant to be patronizing, I hope it doesn't sound that way.

I started off as a 80 hour per payperiod new grad, and was very discouraged and on the verge of burnout within six months, because I wasn't "good enough" yet. I dropped down to 60 hours per payperiod, and noticed a big improvement in my general attitude and stress level. Then, when I felt like I was capable and ready, I went back to full time. It took about three or four months.

Now, I can work as much as I want, but I try not to schedule more than four in a row. Some days, NOTHING goes my way, but there's light at the end of the tunnel because I know that I'm off the next day. If I was having a bad week, and knew I had to come back for five or six more days in a row...I might crack and run out screaming!

Specializes in Med/Surg.

Worked a 10 hour schedule for awhile some years ago but not 7 in a row. Working 10 hrs is about like working 12's and 3 in a row is about it for me. Unless we are really short or someone needs off, 3 is all I do together. Our hospital did not keep the 10 hour shifts, cost to much to have the overlap of shifts to cover the whole 24 hrs. Was nice to have extra help during busy times.

Specializes in CMSRN.

Even though I have not worked nursing yet with the 7/70 schedule, I worked 10-12 hour days usually 6 days in a row or more. As much as I loved my job the sequence of days wore me out. I would turn it down flat. Of course that is my feelings. Someone else may find it very appealing.

Specializes in Med/Surge, ER.

i think that would be too physically and emotionally exhausting. there's a huge possibility that you would be "burnt out" before you ever really got started.

Two 12's in a row or four 8's in a row is my limit. I can't imagine working 7 days in a row!!!!!!! I would imagine you would spend your first day off resting and your last day off sitting around DREADING going to work the next day.

I started working 7/70 nights as my first nursing job. If you are reasonably fit and healthy, you should be able to handle it without too much fatigue. (And there's always ibuprofen!) Don't plan on doing ANYTHING else except work during your "on" week because 10 hour shifts are never only 10 hours. Also, when our hospital began its 7/70 program they were under the impression that nurses would prefer to take their PTO as cash rather than time off since they got every other week off. Since you are new, you probably won't be able to use it right away, but my advice is to use that PTO. Also, your off week is not "vacation" any more than a weekend is a vacation for the 9 to 5 people. You work full-time just like everybody else so don't get roped into too many other obligations since you have "all this time off."

If you like to travel, this is the ONLY way to work full-time. Also, keeping your same patient load is usually beneficial (depending on the type of patients you happen to be stuck with on that week) Even "challenging" patients aren't as difficult once you know them.

The biggest downside? To quote one of my co-workers "I can't stand "A week" Mondays. I always feel like I'm goin' to jail!"

Best of luck to you!

Specializes in PACU, PICU, ICU, Peds, Education.

I think it depends on the type of unit on which you work, the shift and your co-workers. I did a 7/70 for a few years around 10 years ago and loved it. I worked 1-11. Most of our day people were 7-3. Our night crew was 10-8. Notice the overlap? Lots got done then, but without the rush of "thank God you are here, take report so I can leave" type of thing.

The only bothersome thing was since we got paid for 80 hours, if we happened to have to stay late, it was not "paid." In order to get "overtime" we had to have over 10 more hours...and they watched that clock like a hawk.

Specializes in med/surg oncolgy.

Yikes! 7 ten hr days in a row? We work 3/12 hr shifts in our hospital and thats enough. I work nights so I don't know if it is easier during the day, but I imagine not. Good luck to you and be safe.

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