Debate: 8-hour shifts vs. 12-hour shifts

[mfrench]

Hello all,

I am a nursing student participating in a leadership course this semester and my school has a high emphasis on evidence-based practice. I have heard of different state laws concerning limits for the amount of hours a nurse is allowed to work in one day.

We were discussing this fact in one of my classes, and I remembered different studies I have read about safe practice. It is coming under debate whether 12-hour shifts are even safe, since some studies are showing an increase in nursing errors toward the end of these shifts.

I would like to have a debate with not just opinions, but facts found in reputable sources. Does anybody have stories or arguments that relate to this topic?

[sameyjaney]

I think it really depends on what you do with your time outside of the hospital. For example, are you able to go straight to bed when you get home or do you have other obligations that you need to meet (cooking dinner for family, helping kids with homework, etc.). How long is your commute to and from work? I have to leave 2hrs prior to my start time in order to get to work on time which greatly decreases the amount of sleep I am able to get. I also get stuck in traffic on the way home in the morning. Do you stay over at work often? Do you leave right at 7:00 or are you stuck there charting for an hour? Do you get to take your breaks while on the job? I know that 3 12hr shifts without breaks takes a tole on a person and it happens more often than many of us would like. If you work nights do you sleep during the day before you come on? If so, how long? Are you basically sleeping during the day like one would normally do on night shift or are you simply taking a power nap before work? These are all things that I would factor in which I think would highly affect nursing care provided during the shift. I have only worked night shift 12s and can't imagine doing anything else. I think it is very doable when you take your breaks, finish on time and get some good sleep in-between shifts. However, I would like some consistency. It would be much more doable working the same 3 days every week instead of 1 day off, 1 day on, 2 days off, 3 days on etc. When your shifts are spaced out you can very easily feel like you are "always" working.

[Blu rose]

I had 8 hours shift in my clinicals and I felt so fatigued that I did not have energy to work on my assignments etc. at home. I had my placement at a hospital and there was a lot of work to do. On the other hand, some of my colleagues had 12 hours shift at a nursing home and they were a happy bunch of people. They said that they did not have to work much and had long breaks. I guess work load matters a lot in addition to the number of hours :sstrs:

[egglady, LPN]

I have only worked as a nurse for 15 YEARS, and I am sorry to say- my brain and level of caring shut off after 8 hours!! I am thankful for the nurses that can do 12 or 16, I used to, but cant anymore.. I hope there are more energetic nurses for these gals when they are tired of it! Kudos to those of you who can do more- but understand, we all have (or some of us!) been there and done that, and just either cant or WONT anymore!!!

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

I like 12s. However, 12s end up being 13 when you factor in arriving early and then giving report at the end. I wish 12s were truly 12s. That's long enough.

[Biffbradford]

I have only worked as a nurse for 15 YEARS, and I am sorry to say- my brain and level of caring shut off after 8 hours!! I am thankful for the nurses that can do 12 or 16, I used to, but cant anymore.. I hope there are more energetic nurses for these gals when they are tired of it! Kudos to those of you who can do more- but understand, we all have (or some of us!) been there and done that, and just either cant or WONT anymore!!!

Amen! :yeah:

[KaringOne]

I have worked 8hr & 12hr shifts. I have even worked 16hr shifts before. There was even a time when I worked 40hrs a week full time with one job, worked 24hrs a week with my 2nd job, & went to school full time. It was very hard on me back then (but I had to do what I had to) & all I did was sleep on my off-time. Now I work 5 nights a week, 8 hour shifts. I tell you, working these 8hr shifts tires me out. I would much rather take three or four 12hr shifts a week than work five 8hr shifts any day.

[mystory, BSN, RN]

I want 3-12's!

In my area, psych is predominantly comprised of 8 hour shifts. I love mental health, but if the field doesn't evolve into 12 hour shifts I may resort back to the dungeon of Med/Surg.

My CNO says the research indicates that most mistakes are made at the end of 12 hour shifts. Because of this, she vetoes our efforts and pleas to pilot 12 hour shifts.

Well one of the principles of evidenced based practice is the nurse's preference. So it seems paradoxical to discount our preferences. Also, I've done some research of my own, and irrefutably employees who are happy with their job and shift yield improved retention, job satisfaction, and job performance.

That is my humble opinion. Sorry for the vent

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

Love the 12 hr shift. What I don't like is missing breaks and being on the floor 9 hours before I get to eat. I could never go back to 8 hr shifts. I like the time off.

[coffee4metech]

how do you go about changing the 8 hr shift to 12 hr shift my department only has 8 hr shifts . I desperately want to work 12 hr shifts I can't stand 5 days a week@ 8 hrs. Managers are very much against the 12 hr shift option why ?????

[PMFB-RN, RN]

There is one thing I never see taken into account. What would the effect on patients be if large numbers of highly expeirenced nurses, in particular ICU nurses suddenly left bedside nursing? Do away with 12 hours shifts and I will leave bedisde nursing the next day. The same is true for many of my ICU co-workers. Many of us drive a very long distance to work. We stay over at a local motel or something and work 3 or 4 12s in a row then go home. All of those nurses would have to quite if everybody had to work 8 hour shifts.

At my hospital nurses can work either 8s or 12s depending on what suits them best. What is wrong with that?

[nursestacey62]

You are right about keeping experienced nurses in the ICU but I have to share my recent experience at a large hospital in Orlando. I did clinicals for my bachelors rounding with an ARNP. We saw patients on virtually every floor in the hospital. It was hard not to notice that most of the floor nurses were in their 20's. Maybe a few in their 30's but rarely did I see any older than that. I think it's because floor nursing is so stressful and the 12-hour shifts on your feet are murder. What do you think?

[PMFB-RN, RN]

You are right about keeping experienced nurses in the ICU but I have to share my recent experience at a large hospital in Orlando. I did clinicals for my bachelors rounding with an ARNP. We saw patients on virtually every floor in the hospital. It was hard not to notice that most of the floor nurses were in their 20's. Maybe a few in their 30's but rarely did I see any older than that. I think it's because floor nursing is so stressful and the 12-hour shifts on your feet are murder. What do you think?

*** My hospital is full of nurses in their 30's, 40's and even 50's. I don't find floor nursing stressful. What is stressful to me is having to get up nearly every dang day and go to work. Never having more than the weekend off. Having to take vacation time every time I want to do anything at all.

I understand different strokes for different folks. I have NO PROBLEM with the nurse who knows 12s are not for them. They shouldn't do them. 12s work for me and many of my co-workers. One of the huge draws to nursing for many people is the 4 days off each week.

I wonder if the hospital you are talking about is one of those "we only hire BSN grads"? I do a fair amont of agency work and I have noticed at those hospitals with BSN only hiring the nurses working the floor seem pretty young. I assumed that was cause more BSN seem to wnt to leave bedside nursing as soon as they can.