Seeking commiseration and chocolate, will accept honest assessments of whether I'm being a total princess about this. ?
Just got my schedule for the next few weeks, and I got scheduled to work four 12s in a row that I in no way, shape, or form requested. Now, I am an absolute bear after three in a row, especially now that I've got a practicum for my MSN to schedule into the mix. I prefer to spread my shifts out a little bit - work two, off one or two, then work one or two, etc. - but I know I'm not the only person my manager is trying to accommodate while staffing the unit, so I totally get it when I don't get what I requested sometimes. That said, I've never done four in a row, and my past managers typically never scheduled them unless someone specifically requested it.
I'm not gonna make a big stink about it, though I may see if anyone is willing to trade a shift so I can get a little break somewhere in there. Just curious, especially from managers or unit coordinators - do you often schedule staff for four in a row if they didn't request it? Does anyone LIKE having them all packed together like that? I am honestly dreading the whole thing, especially since our unit is super small with a lot of us in clinicals, so I doubt anyone is going to be able to switch. ?
I worked a 3 on,2 off, 2 on, 3 off for several years (3s being weekends; all being 12hrs, 84 hrs a pay period) and I really enjoyed it. I worked a 5 on 2 off, 2 on 5 off for a while which I liked because I could get 9 days off using 2 annual days. It was OK, but 60 hrs in a week was tiring, even followed by five off. 10-12 nurses worked a split schedule, so you had to have somebody on the alternate matrix mirror you. If somebody quit or went on vacation you could end up pretty short sometimes, which offered overtime opportunity for us masochists.
My preference is actually for six 12's in a row (followed by 8 off). I'm curious how many people who prefer to work no more than 3 in a row work days vs nights.
That’s exactly what I did when working in the ER. I worked nights and avoided the flip-flopping that ensured that I was useless on many of my days off because I was trying to catch up on sleep when I only worked 1 or 2 shifts at a time. Having 8 days off in a row twice a month also allowed me to vacation whenever I wanted without have to ask for time off or use PTO to cover. I was in my late 50’s at the time and would do it in a heartbeat again if I could.
Specializes in Mental health, substance abuse, geriatrics, PCU.
I currently work 8 hour shifts but I did 12's and weekend baylor for a very long time before and I've found that I had a lot more dread and anxiety about returning to work when I had that nice stretch of days off than what I do just having a day or two off now. Has anyone else had that experience?
I currently work 8 hour shifts but I did 12's and weekend baylor for a very long time before and I've found that I had a lot more dread and anxiety about returning to work when I had that nice stretch of days off than what I do just having a day or two off now. Has anyone else had that experience?
I 100% have had that. Two or three days off is my sweet spot where I can breathe on my days off but not completely lose my work groove.
Also, it seems like a lot of folks arrange their days together to have a stretch for vacation without using any time - which makes total sense! That said, I've tried arranging my days in three in a row before to travel, one set before and one set after, and knowing I have three in a row to go back to really puts a damper on the last couple days. For me, I much prefer using some vacation time so I ease back into work doing only one or two shifts when I get back.
It's so interesting hearing how different places and work environments have such different practices!
I prefer the 7 on, 7 off schedule, but it only works when everything else is relatively simple.
By that I mean that it works when I have a short commute, and not too much going on at home that I have to deal with between shifts.
Right now, my situation is a long commute and I also run a cat rescue, which means around 90 minutes spent each evening feeding and cleaning for them, making a 12 hour shift into a 19 hour day.
Up at 4am, back to bed at 11pm, and then I can't sleep as I'm too tired. I can't do more than three in this situation!
I never did 18 but it wasn’t unusual for me to do 10-12 in a row. I have even done double 12’s. One 12 hr job would end at 0530 and I’d drive to another hospital to work 0700-1900. The second job did not involve direct patient care so it was doable for me. It was just the drive home—40 minutes away—that was tricky.
when I worked home health I got my referrels from Froedert in Milwaukee. The nurses worked 7 days of 10 hours and then were off the next week. I would call on Monday morning about HH referrels and always was told "I haven't been here for a week."
I would call on Monday morning about HH referrels and always was told "I haven't been here for a week."
And that's the real issue working a chopped up schedule. I always liked to get "my" patients back if they were still there but sometimes another nurse had been working with them for the last couple days and considered them "her" patient.
Continuity of care is very important because who knows better how that patient is progressing or what to watch for than the nurse who's been working with them most recently? I always gave way if there was preference expressed (almost always).
I used to work 12 hour nights every weekend (12/13). Often picked up a night during the week, sometimes a Monday or Thursday making 4 in a row but big crash after 4.... However I know (usually singles or contract staff) who request 6 on 8 off both nights and days.
We had mandatory overtime for a while. Yeah it sucks, what I don't like is when you call out that still counts as a call off. Let me explain, you get a certain number of call offs in a calendar year. Go over and that is a write up. I feel if they are making you work overtime, if you call out when staffing is decent that should not be counted.
Let's not forget the overachieving coworkers who sign up for multiple extra shifts weeks or months in advance. They are approved, naturally. When it comes time to work them they "just can't work them". So they scramble to get other people to work the shifts that they so eagerly signed up for.
Tomascz, ASN, RN
126 Posts
I worked a 3 on,2 off, 2 on, 3 off for several years (3s being weekends; all being 12hrs, 84 hrs a pay period) and I really enjoyed it. I worked a 5 on 2 off, 2 on 5 off for a while which I liked because I could get 9 days off using 2 annual days. It was OK, but 60 hrs in a week was tiring, even followed by five off. 10-12 nurses worked a split schedule, so you had to have somebody on the alternate matrix mirror you. If somebody quit or went on vacation you could end up pretty short sometimes, which offered overtime opportunity for us masochists.