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?

[myk_RN]

Our unit supervisor has been pondering to transfer into the 12 hr. sched. There are already some units in our hospital doing it. (They do 6 12hr shifts and 1 8hr every 2 weeks.)

However, when she had the staff voting for it, many of the older (senior nurses) who are almost always in the 0700-1500 shift voted NO. So it was a no go.

I really agree with what sameyjaney said above. It really depends with what you do with your time off. I work 8hr graveyard shifts and I can get more done this way, rather than having more days off. Go work, get off at 0730, do some errands, go gym, relax for a couple of hours and sleep at around 1500-1600. I don't think I would have the energy to do many of those things after getting out of a 12 hour shift.

[caliotter3]

I worked with several nurses who worked one eight hour shift in our facility, then walked across the street to work a second eight hour shift in that facility. They would do this six or seven days a week. You could tell who these nurses were by their constant demeanor of exhaustion. People would avoid one in particular because she would bite your head off if you said anything at all in her direction. Should there have been a limit to this? I think so. The admins certainly knew about it and they encouraged it, when one or two of the supervising nurses did the same thing. They liked having the same bodies around no matter how alert those bodies might not be.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

Our unit supervisor has been pondering to transfer into the 12 hr. sched. There are already some units in our hospital doing it. (They do 6 12hr shifts and 1 8hr every 2 weeks.)

However, when she had the staff voting for it, many of the older (senior nurses) who are almost always in the 0700-1500 shift voted NO. So it was a no go.

*** I don't understand why it has to be one or the other? Why can those who want to do 12s do 12s and those who want 8s do 8s? Hospitals larg and small do that all the time. I would really love to hear your managers reasoning for refusing such a plan.

[SummitRN, BSN, RN]

I worked with several nurses who worked one eight hour shift in our facility, then walked across the street to work a second eight hour shift in that facility. They would do this six or seven days a week. You could tell who these nurses were by their constant demeanor of exhaustion. People would avoid one in particular because she would bite your head off if you said anything at all in her direction. Should there have been a limit to this? I think so. The admins certainly knew about it and they encouraged it, when one or two of the supervising nurses did the same thing. They liked having the same bodies around no matter how alert those bodies might not be.

What did they do if their shift ran over into their other job???

[caliotter3]

What did they do if their shift ran over into their other job???

They were so in tight with each other that their buddy going across the street or another nurse already there, would cover for them. I do remember discussions around this on occasion. They would simply say something to the buddy getting ready to leave, or make a quick phone call. All was cool.

[Woodenpug, BSN]

yet another thread where someone wants to prove something that simply is not true. 12's are as safe as 8's, most nurses prefer 12's. So let's see if we can make a thread where it seems like the opposite.

This is an an.com tradition, see the threads about pandemic flu or do nurses eat their young. Somehow all that happens is that there are fewer participants, seems few buy the "stuff." but let's keep trying.... could be we will fool somebody. Here's a cheer: "Eights are great, let's celebrate...." Well someone could believe that. Say it fast and with lots of enthusiasm.

[Biffbradford]

Okay, put me down for 8s for the record. I always hated 12s, always will.