Doing away with 12 hour shifts?

[nckdl]

I have been working in this same facility for years and just recently they decided to "Do away with the 12 hour shifts" and change everybody over to 8 hours. They said it's just not cost effective, yet they can't get anybody to work the 2-10 shift already. ( The facility is split on 8/12 shifts.) I think it is so wrong that they want to change everybodies lives like that. I work 3 days a week and with kids and babysitting, it just works and now they want to screw it up. So now the facility is in an uproar and I'm searching for another job. I love my work but I love my kids more and taking away 12 hour shifts means I will get bumped back to 2nd shift and I can't do that to my kids again. Has anybody else had this happen to them?

[Miss Mab]

And how is telling you that your facility is going from 12's to 8's any more upsetting that telling you it's going the other way? .

It's definitely the lengthening of the work week. No way would I agree to be in my facility (or any other that I can think of) five days a week.

Huh uh, now way, no how.

I truly think they would lose a LOT of the current workforce if the 12's were just done away with. I get why people prefer 8's and that's understandable. Hopefully we'll stay sane and realize that both are do-able and cost effective.

"Hopefully we'll stay sane"---ha, did I just say that??

[rn4ever?]

I work in the Psychiatric Floor and used to do (5) 8-hour shifts (Mon-Fri). It was tiring and exhausting doing it everyday. I now work 3 12-hour shifts, no weekends---and I like it better. Nurses on our floor were given a choice, to do 8s or 12s.

[Valerie Salva, BSN, RN]

I absolutely despise 8 hrs shifts and just cannot do my job five days a week. I think I would drop dead from exhaustion. It's 12 hrs or nothing for me.

[nursemary9, BSN, RN]

Hi,

At my Hospital, we offer 8 and 12 hr. shifts.

I'm VERY pleased with this as my OLD bones simply can't take 12 hr. shifts.

Once upon a time when I was YOUNGER and before the 2 hip replacements, I could manage them & did even like working them; however, now, it's all I can do to do an 8 hour!!!LOL

However, last year, I cut my hours from 80 to 72. At our Facility, 72 hrs. is still considered full-time. That way I still get the full benefit package.

I work on a very busy acute-care med/surg-hem/onc. floor.

[lorilou22RN]

Hi,

At my Hospital, we offer 8 and 12 hr. shifts.

I'm VERY pleased with this as my OLD bones simply can't take 12 hr. shifts.

Once upon a time when I was YOUNGER and before the 2 hip replacements, I could manage them & did even like working them; however, now, it's all I can do to do an 8 hour!!!LOL

However, last year, I cut my hours from 80 to 72. At our Facility, 72 hrs. is still considered full-time. That way I still get the full benefit package.

I work on a very busy acute-care med/surg-hem/onc. floor.

I don't know how you do it. My mother (always refer to her too!) 58 still working the floor, ie: Tele, ER, ICU with an agency. Already one TKR, and a bum foot. She will do 12's, yet they are hard for her. Nursing is extremely hard on your body, certainly mine as stated before does not bounce back like it used too, and I know that we are all heading for multiple joint replacements in the future!