Cant decide which is better shift

ccweisbard · Mar 14, 2013

I think this is very individual. It is definitely a huge adjustment (I did it in January).... For my family it is worth it, it has been awesome to have the weekends off, but because I work far from home now, we have missed some school activities. I also can't go to awards or field trips. There are definitely pros and cons to both!!

lovinlife11 · Mar 14, 2013

There are pros and cons, for sure. I made the same switch you did and would have to think long and hard about going back to 12 hour shifts. Love weekend and holidays off, I used to hate to have to stress about getting certain holidays off...

Morainey, BSN, RN · Mar 14, 2013

Making the switch myself... love the 3 day workweek but I work nights and don't see anybody anymore!

MassRN11 · Mar 16, 2013

For me, I prefer the 3-12hr shifts. I needed the variation in my life. Mon-Fri 8-430, week after week just became so monotonous. But I agree, it is very individualized as to what you prefer.

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Mar 16, 2013

For me, I would prefer the three 12's vs. five 8's. I enjoy having my four days off as opposed to two, even though those days seem to fly by!

anon456, BSN, RN · Mar 17, 2013

I prefer 3 12's and I also prefer night shift for now. I have school aged kids who are old enough to take care of themselves during the day when I sleep but not old enough to be alone for more than a couple hours by themselves. I love that during school breaks we never have to worry about childcare because someone is always at home. Also love that I can spread out my schedule to take many days off for vacation without using up PTO.

12's are very hard on the body though, and eventually I would love to work the day schedule you are being offered. I guess it depends on what your priorities are right now and the needs of your family if you have one.

MrChicagoRN, RN · Mar 18, 2013

There have been multiple threads here and elsewhere regarding 8's vs 12's. It's been pretty much a 50:50 split. What's a dream forone, is a nightmare for another.

Maybe try making a list of the pros & cons of each job. Also think about how long you think you'd like to stay in either of the jobs, and where you may want to be after that. In other words, don't just think of the ST, but also the LT

shorter28 · Mar 20, 2013

It all depends on what you prefer, but I recently was faced with the same issue and decided to take the job with the week-day 8 hour shifts. For one thing, it sounds like your Monday-Friday job will be at an outpatient facility since its closed on weekends and holidays?? The job I recently accepted is also an outpatient facility and I really liked the idea of getting out of the hospital setting....12 hour shifts at a crazy hospital just got to be too much after a few years. Plus, on those three days that you work for 12 hours (which is really about 14 hours by the time you get home after work), you get home too late and too exhausted to do anything after work, so at least when you work from 8-4:30, you can come home and still enjoy dinner with your family or something. I love my new hours, it's not as crazy of a job, I'm home on every weekend and holiday along with all of my friends and family, and on my days at work, the days fly by and I come home still energized.