How many of you work 3 days /12 hrs shifts?

vamedic4, EMT-P · Nov 14, 2007

I do...and I love it. I used to work 2 12s and 2 8s (and a D/N rotation at that!!) But that all changed with the birth of my first little monster. 3 12 hour nights for me thanks..and if I'm available to work more, I'll call you.

It's great. I wouldn't go back to working 5 days a week for double my hourly pay. Not a chance.

vamedic4;)

Cold front..YAAY!!

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Nov 14, 2007

There's pros and cons to this kind of scheduling, but I prefer it myself. I'm one of those who can't imagine having to deal with the 5-day-a-week thing with a hospital routine: five drives to work, five times taking report, five times reporting off, five shifts of fixing whatever the last shift did or didn't do....and then driving home, preparing to do it all again the next day. Only two days off a week? Nah :)

I don't get four days off in a row, except for an unsual circumstance; usually if I work 3 in a row I'll get three off either before or after, or I'll get two off, one on, and then three off. If I'm taking a holiday day or vacation day during the week, added in with the days off, those are really nice stretches; six days off in a row with taking only one day out of benefit time is nice.

I wish I had a set schedule, but since our facility requires alternate weekends, my other days off vary each week. Sometimes there seems to be a pattern (good or bad) and sometimes not.

If my facility began requiring 8 hour shifts only, I know I'd go elsewhere. As it is, it's gone the other way: they're ONLY hiring for 12's now for my unit, no more 8 hours for new people.

MikeyJ, RN · Nov 15, 2007

I am a nursing student and I currently work as a nurse apprentice in a pediatrics department. I work two 12-hour graveyard shifts a week -- Friday & Saturday nights.

I love working 12-hour shifts! Although Friday nights are tough because I am in clinicals all day Friday and go home, change, and right back to the hospital for my graveyard shift. Thus I am up from 4:00 a.m. Friday morning until 9:00 a.m. Saturday morning (almost 30 hours straight).

I can't wait until I graduate and get to do three 12-hour shifts a week and get 4 days off to finally enjoy life! :)

Spatialized · Nov 15, 2007

While I'm worn out by the end of my 3 in a row, it's become my favorite way to schedule myself. I tried 2 on, then another here, tried changing it up, tried to get a set schedule of 3 days on, 4 days off (got laughed at by the scheduler)...so I've just dealt with and learned to love it. We end up doing a rotational type of schedule where I do 3 on, 2 off, 3 on, 2 off, 3 on 7-8 off. Rinse and repeat. It sucks to wokr 9 of 14 days, but the payoff (7 or 8 days) at the end is worth it. Been trying to get a 3 on/3off, but it's just not working.

It's better than the last job I worked with 12 hour nights...it was Monday, Wednesday, Friday, every week. That sucked.

Cheers,

Tom

Snow1278, RN · Nov 15, 2007

I have been doing 12's for six months now and I love it. I get one four day weekend every four weeks, and work one weekend out of every four weekends. I usually work two days in a row during the week, but seldom work three in a row unless I make it that way. Five days eight hours would probably burn me out. After working two twelve hour shifts in a row I am ready to have a day off, so I could not imagine five in a row. Hope this helps.

texas2007, BSN, RN · Nov 15, 2007

I am also a student nurse. I just started doing 12's yesterday and today and so far, so good! I think when I would do 8 hr days during clinical, I was tired too so the rest of my day would be shot anyway. 4 more hours isn't that much and I like having more days entirely to myself. If I worked 8's consistantly, I would feel like I was always at work.