Anyone else frustrated with 12 hour shifts?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi fellow nurses,

I am frustrated with the short sightedness of nursing management with only offering 12 hour shifts. Do they realize how difficult this is on the typical family, much less the over 40 nurse. We say we have a nursing shortage but, then we have many nurses at home wanting to return but, unable to do 12 hours. Which, we all know if never really 12 hours but, much longer (commute, park,report,etc). Not to mention the fatigue factor. 12 hours should be one option not, the only one. We could have a few 6 hour shifts to incorporate the stay at home mom and keep them active in the profession. In my experience teaching nurse refresher courses it is a common frustration for those trying to return. What do you guys think?

Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.
I guess I'm the only one that doesn't mind evening shift...I work M-F 3p-11p & love it, except I will say that the 5 days are draining. When I was a tech, I used to work D/N rotating, 2 8s & 2 12s, or 3 12s depending on the week, and I absolutely HATED the lack of consistency. If I could work the 3 days a week, I think I would like it, but I like having my mornings to myself to do whatever I need & then go into work at 3.

Just showing a little love for 2nd shift...

I, too, love 3-11! The only time I worked Day Shift was when my daughter started kindergarten and having no time with her became a real problem.

I recently turned down a perdiem job (I work 1-2 shifts a week) primarily because it was a 12 hour job. It was exactly what I wanted, except for that. AND the possibility of scheduling 8 hour shifts was there, but if those were gone, then it would be necessary to schedule 12 hour shifts.

The very thought of getting up 5a and not getting home until 8p, or worse! leaving at 6' and not getting home until 8a was enough to start a near panic attack. I just can't imagine being gone from my home, on my feet, for that long. And my observations where I currently work are that the 12 hour people rarely, if ever, get out in 12 1/2 hours. Usually it's more like 14. There's just no way I would be able to do that two shifts back to back, and my attitude, both there and at home, would be horrible.

In addition, I am very cautious about those last 4 hours of nurses with whom I work. Often, some of them exhibit less conscientiousness about their job and duties, even trying to "trade" for a less labor-intensive assignment when we come in at 3.

When my DH had surgery last year, I was happy to have 8 hour shift nurses for his caretaking. (This was not at my hospital, where I wouldn't have taken him: ever.) At each change of shift, we were greeted with fresh faces, nurses who hadn't gone home from the hospital a few hours earlier, only to be back-again. Their patient-nurse ratios were very reasonable also, which was why I wouldn't have taken him where I work.

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We don't have a very high turnover on 3-11. We recently added 12's and very few staff on 3-11 volunteered to take those positions. Most came from days and nights. Now however we have a lot more work when we decide staffing, we often have too many nurses coming on at 7pm. There usually isn't an even match at 7p either we had more nurses on days and end up short at 7p or we have more scheduled for night shift and have a surplus at 7p.

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Specializes in NICU.

Personally I love 12 hr shifts, once I became accustomed to the routine they rarely drag by, especially now that I am on day shift. I hate getting up at 4:30 in the am, but its a small price to pay IMHO.

I don't know if I could have worked full time when I first finished school if it was a 5 day a week grind-yuck-but of course to each his own.

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I love 12 hour shift, because I work 3 days only, think about 8 hour and 5 dyes that is a lot. Only add 4 hour work three days, that good it is help me and my family specially my kids. I help my wife to baby-sitting the rest of 4 days instead of paid babysitter. :up:

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Specializes in Correctional, QA, Geriatrics.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned 10 hour shifts. You get 3 days off in a row and it was great to have extra hands during those busy times. I currently self schedule in my community based position and will do 10 hour days when I need a week day off.

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I LOVE my 12 hr shifts!! They can be exhausting, but I feel like having the 4 days off is more balanced for me and for my family.

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Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

I would not work a 12 hour shift ever. I am the charge RN on a really busy 34 bed unit. Eight hours of it is about all I can take at one time. It is very busy on 3-11 and we run the entire shift. I just can't keep my mental strength up for more than 8 hours.

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I'm surprised no one has mentioned 10 hour shifts. You get 3 days off in a row and it was great to have extra hands during those busy times. I currently self schedule in my community based position and will do 10 hour days when I need a week day off.

I used to work 10 hour shifts and loved it. Get that extra day off a week, but not so tired you can't get much done. I find that my first day off after 3 12's is pretty much a throw away day as I'm so tired I don't get much done. Loved 10 hours, but not practical for management. Better for the staff, though.

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Loved 10 hours, but not practical for management. Better for the staff, though.

Ten hour shifts make sense to me as they allow for more than just a tag team approach between shifts. I can see in stable environments where a long overlap between shifts would be pointless and inefficient, but in a busy inpatient environment with patients coming and going, few truly stable patients, and lots of new orders, having more of an overlap and more teamwork between shifts I think would improve both patient care and employee morale. But then again, the simple act of staffing up instead of always pushing the staff to do more with less, would do wonders for morale and patient care.

Personally, I don't have the stamina to give my best for 12 hours several days in a row. And the alternative is rarely working more than 2 days in a row, which means little patient continuity, which I dislike as well.

I can totally understand the appeal of 12 hour shifts and having several days off a week!!! I love the idea of it! But my body rebels and I feel miserable on that kind of schedule.

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Specializes in Med surg, Critical Care, LTC.

Hospitals have to begin to realize that their nursing pool is AGING, and not everyone can do 12 hour shifts. I'm well aware administration doesn't give a rats orifice - but someone should begin to consider this. I'm pushing 50, when I'm on call and have to work 12 - 24 hours straight - I dam near become suicidal. It messes with my meds, circadian rhythm and my insomnia and depression that we are trying to control. Now, I know my manager doesn't care one iota. Her caring is that warm bodies show up for their shifts - that's about it.

If we want different shifts, we'll have to change departments. All that's available is nights - no can do, been their done that, would literally kill me now - besides, paid my dues years ago. So I wait, and wait for something to crop up. Waiting sucks!!

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