Mandatory 12 Hours Shifts or Flexibility?

Nurses General Nursing

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Our unit went all 12-hour shifts a few years ago, much to the dismay of several people, but eventually all adjusted and we're supposed to be 12 hour shifts.

Lately however, (now is a whole new crew that was hear years ago when the 12 hour shift schedule came along) there are several people who for various reasons are throwing in some 8 hour shifts.

We are self-scheduling.

One guy who is in the nurse intervention project for getting a drunk driving conviction can't work overtime and says he's in such a financial bind he must work two 12's and two 8's. Another says she's having problems at home and must work four 8 hour shifts, but she has found a per diem nurse to work 4-hour shifts to cover her, but not always. Another one has another story where she must work one 8 hour a week, for some bizzare reason.

This can be very disruptive sometimes to the rest of us because there are wholes that sometimes can't be filled. Or we fill them with a 12 hour person, and then the 8 hour person comes in (the drunk driver can't float) so one of the contracts then has to float.

I know I'm babbling. But should floors work with their nurses needs at the inconvience of others? Or should there be mandatory 12-hour shifts for all, no exceptions?

Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

We tried having people work only 12's, but there are too many people that need 40/wk. If people want to work 12's, that is fine, if they want to work 8's that is fine too. Where I work, we can work pretty much anything from a 4 to a 16 if we so desire. We have 100 nurses, including parttime and perdiem and we have no problems with our schedule. I am one of the people that work 8 hours shifts....I work 4 a week. And it is because of child care....Try finding somewhere that is open from 6am to 8pm...pretty impossible. And if someone wants to be home with their kids, than that is no one's business actually. If I want to be home to lay on the couch and watch tv, that is no one's business either.

I think that workplaces need to be flexible so that there is a higher retainment! That is one of the reasons that people leave, and therefore, leave your unit short! Should they be mandated..no, not unless you have a 100 percent vote too!

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

On our unit it was the nurses, under the direction of the manager that switched to all 12-hour shifts. But it was ultimately the staff's decision. But that was a whole crew ago, and the needs of the current staff have changed. Back then in the mid90s there was an abundance of staff, and new grads were having trouble getting in.

The market has changed. There isn't staff, and we're using a lot of travelers and contracts.

I agree, mandate too much, then loose the staff. Still the overwhelming majority favors 12-hour shifts.

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