Clincials in nursing school

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Hello. I hope you can help me out here. I read on another posting that a young lady was in the process of finishing up her nursing school and just finished a 12 hour clinical in the ER. 11a-11p. Is that typical?? Do nurses have to put in monsterous clincial hours like resident doctors? You hear about the docs. pulling 36 hour shifts. I want to go into nursing, but is it true nurses have 12 hour clinicals????? Wow! Can you shed some light here???

Thank you! Epona :uhoh3:

Specializes in Neuro, Critical Care.
Hello. I hope you can help me out here. I read on another posting that a young lady was in the process of finishing up her nursing school and just finished a 12 hour clinical in the ER. 11a-11p. Is that typical?? Do nurses have to put in monsterous clincial hours like resident doctors? You hear about the docs. pulling 36 hour shifts. I want to go into nursing, but is it true nurses have 12 hour clinicals????? Wow! Can you shed some light here???

Thank you! Epona :uhoh3:

The longest clinical I've had is 8 hours. We have a preceptorship to do at the very end of our program and our schedule will be 3 12 hour shifts per week. Quite a few nurses work 3 12's once they get hired.

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Specializes in ICU, psych, corrections.

In our last semester, we did 3 weeks of 12 hour clinicals (2 per week, with 3 on the last week). It was horrible only because of the unit I was on (6 patients during the day, some of them who needed to be on a more acute floor due to how sick they were). And some of the RN's on that floor were less than friendly to the students. But that's what you get when you decide to skip class the day everyone picks where they were going to do their practicum!! I got the slot that nobody wanted....ROFL!!

Melanie = )

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I am in an LVN program and all of our clinicals are 12 hr shifts!!!!

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We did 4-6 hours x 3 but I graduated in 1999.

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Specializes in ICU, CVICU.

The idea of 12 hour shifts for nursing school justs seems awful to me. It would be one thing if it was your job and you only had to work 3days/week. It is another thing if you have to spend the rest of the week in classes and studying. I don't know when I would ever see my family :(

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Specializes in Rural Health.

We've always had 12 hour clinical days and it's not an option. They start at 0530 and end around 1700. They are 1 day a week. It's been like that since day 1 for us. I've worked 12 hour shifts for 8 years though both outside of school and in school. Really, once you get used to it...it's the way to go. The time off is unreal. Also, every hospital in my area of the world only does 12 hour shifts - the only places that do 8 hour shifts around here is LTC. Even most doctor offices in this area, while they may be open for 8 hours, their staff works 10+ hours per day.

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Specializes in Rural Health.
The idea of 12 hour shifts for nursing school justs seems awful to me. It would be one thing if it was your job and you only had to work 3days/week. It is another thing if you have to spend the rest of the week in classes and studying. I don't know when I would ever see my family :(

It's not that bad - I have school Mon/Tues from 8-3, off Wed, clinical Thurs and work Friday nights. Lots of time for family and studying. I honestly couldn't imagine the time if I had to go to clinicals 2x per week. It's over 2 hours one way for me to get to most of our clinical sites, so for me and all the driving...I prefer the 1 day a week even if it's 12 hours. Besides, we are actually only on the floor about 7 hours of it because of pre and post conferences and then of course lunch......

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