Back-to-back 12 hour shifts

[Tiki_Torch]

How many back-to-back 12 hour shifts do you often do? How do you feel about working several in a row?

[CHATSDALE]

i do weekend options and love having five days off.....once you are there 16 isn't bad...what is bad is trying to go to sleep when you know that you are going to have to be alert for two shifts....i have a 20 minute commute so i do ok with that

[athensgrrl]

I just finished 5 in a row.. 7p-7a! I am so tired! I worked Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun, and Monday night. Was off Tues. night, on Call tonight (Wed) and scheduled Thursday night! Thank goodness I didn't get called in tonight!!!!!

[NeuroICURN]

Add commute time into that... and it is a 15 hour day. No way could I do more than 2. I would be a danger to myself and others!

I do commute Vsummer1! LOL I work 45 miles from where I live....so when you figure that we're actually scheduled 12.5 hours, plus an hour to and from, then I can truly sympathize with 15 hour days! Ugh!

[MiaLyse, APRN]

How many back-to-back 12 hour shifts do you often do? How do you feel about working several in a row?

I usually do two 12's, then an 8 the third day. I tried 3 12's in a row, way too tired.

Kelly

[CHATSDALE]

I just finished 5 in a row.. 7p-7a! I am so tired! I worked Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun, and Monday night. Was off Tues. night, on Call tonight (Wed) and scheduled Thursday night! Thank goodness I didn't get called in tonight!!!!!

how do you spell BURNOUT = athensgirl lol get some rest don't answer phone

[movealong]

I used to do 12 hour night shifts 7pm-7:30am. I did 3 back to back frequently, and 4 on occassion. 4 was very tough and usually not my choice.

But I quit that job, nights just about killed me.

[KaroSnowQueen, RN]

The most I try to do is 2 in a row. Three are exhausting, I will spend half the 4th day in bed trying to recover. I used to do 6 in 7 days when I was younger but cannot imagine even attempting it now!!!

[MishlB]

I do 3, but when orientation ends, I will be doing 4-5 in a row. 3 exhausts me, so I don't know HOW in the world I am going to do 4-5. *sigh* We shall see.

4-5 12's in a row? I don't think so. This cannot be a requirement for you, is it?

[Loribabble]

I just changed my schedule to work 4 in a row... We are a small, mostly really quiet unit - the only reason I considered it. We just hired 2 new people and there are only a total of 5 RN's who work nights - everyone was fighting over their schedules and this was my compromise. I am also going to be going to school full-time for my BSN, and raising support to go full-time on the mission field.... someone just commit me now!

[sandramlpn]

I work fr, sa, su 8p-8a every weekend on a psych unit. I sleep about 4-5 hr during the day, so by mo i am wiped out, takes 2 days to get back to normal then i start it all again. I'm working on the lpn-rn bridge program, so these hrs are great & I can study on those nights too.

[Ari RN, BSN, RN]

I usually work 2 (12 hr shifts). I've done 3 but wouldn't dare do 4.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

in my younger days, i did up to five 12s in a row in order to get time off. i traveled a lot more in those days. now i'm finding that two is the most i can physically do. i'm getting older -- body just won't do it anymore.