Am I the only one who hates 12 hour shifts?

Based on some things I've read on this website, I know that I'm not, but I just cannot STAND how 12 hour work days consume my life! There is no time to do anything besides work on those days and prepare for the next work day. I would be so much happier if I could switch to 8s or 10s or even some combo of 8 and 12s... I need to be able to exercise and take care of myself in order to be happy at work!

Mostly I just needed to rant because I know I can't address this yet as a new grad, but has anyone else felt this way and taken action to get a better schedule? Better hours would make work a billion times better!

10s would be great. How do you recommend those happen without rotating shifts? I doubt the earth's rotation is going to be cut by 4 hours anytime soon, so we'll still be dealing with covering 24 hours.

10 hour shifts would work if we converted to metric time....

10s are usually done at emergency rooms. i would like to do 12s. you only work 3 days a week. if you dont have kids its a good thing

10 hour shifts are the way to go, in my opinion. I used to work 3 12s (sometimes in a row) on a neuro spine/neuro med surg floor and it was rough to say the least. On the floors, you are either an 8 hr person or a 12 hr person.

A 12 hour shift almost always ended up being 13, 13.5 hour shifts if not longer. I worked days, and by the time I came home at 8:30pm I would eat and then sleep.

Now, I work in endoscopy which has a variety of shifts. Now I get off at 5:30pm (and I don't have to report off). I can go home and make supper, relax or workout before going to bed. It is ideal for me personally.

I went to part time because I could not do the 12 hour shifts more than twice a week. Hard on my body and hard on my mind. I don't know how I will be able to endure it as I get older (than I am already). I would jump at the chance to do 8 hour shifts even if it means driving in more.

Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

I hate 12 hour shifts, it's just too hard on me. Twelve hours is never just twelve hours. I always end up staying later to finish up paper work or what have you. By that time its been 13+ hours & with my epilepsy it just doesn't work. It's nice to have more days off during the week but my health is more important.

Specializes in Inpatient Oncology/Public Health.

With report, charting and commute, 12s are just way too long. Not to mention those 4 evening hours have a lot of the components of days is rather avoid.

I also dislike 12 hour shifts. The nursing home seem to be all 12 hour shifts in NM. I thought working that many hours straight was illegal? I think it should be outlawed. I don't think a nurse can work for twelve hours and be safe. Maybe that way there is so much drug abuse among nurses. How about med errors? I am 71 years old and have seen just about everything. I am sorry to say I have seen some pretty incompetent nurses. I like a drunk they are the last to know they are unsafe. Help us all!

I did a lot of research on this and you are correct!! Many like the 12 hr shift as they think of all the days off, however your are constantly recovering on that day off... Frankly after 10 hrs you are spent. It is hard to be pleasant for 12 hrs, especially with that demanding patient.... Also we are not thinking as critically at the end of 12 hrs. This is when things go wrong and at the end of your shift the work pace increases. Just not safe for you or the patient.

Specializes in ICU.

12 hour shifts can be difficult but managed with a strategy that works with your life.

The schedule that works best for me on the dayshift is working Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and then a 4 day weekend.

Then repeat!

Every other weekend is 4 days off!

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
I did a lot of research on this and you are correct!! Many like the 12 hr shift as they think of all the days off, however your are constantly recovering on that day off... Frankly after 10 hrs you are spent. It is hard to be pleasant for 12 hrs, especially with that demanding patient.... Also we are not thinking as critically at the end of 12 hrs. This is when things go wrong and at the end of your shift the work pace increases. Just not safe for you or the patient.

Speak for yourself. What _I_ need to recharge my batteries and come to work fresh and ready to work and think is multiple days off in a row where I get involved in something totally different that work.

Five 8 hour shift/week absolutely exhaust me , burn me out and make me unsafe.

As professionals we should understand our own limitations and strengthS and not resort to the lazy and ineffective one size fits all rules.

I have worked both 8 and 12 hours shifts. I personally prefer the 12 hours shifts, because I am able to have more time off. The 8 hour shifts usually ran longer and there was not enough staff so I would have to wait until they were able to find someone to relieve me. Because of short staffing, a lot of my co workers worked double shift, so they worked 16 hours shifts. 12 hour shifts are not easy, but even for the facility, it more preferable. A lot of places are barely staffing for their 12 hour shifts, 8 hour shifts would require more coverage that they don't have.

Specializes in Adult and Pediatric Vascular Access, Paramedic.

I think this preference comes down to energy level and personal preference.

I work 24 hours shifts as a medic and enjoy having those 5 days off, of course my job isn't nearly as constantly busy as a nurse. I am about to embark on a new nursing job which is full time 12 hour shifts, so I will then decide if I like 12s or hate them. My new job is in the city so driving there 4-5 days a week for an 8 hour shift would be out of the question, as you would most definitely catch the traffic coming in and leaving, no thanks to that.

Annie

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