Four 12s in a row?!?! ??

I hate 3 in a row and only work that if I absolutely can’t help it (or if it’s for a trip, which wouldn’t be the case right now). I hit a wall come 3pm on day 3 and there is no way I’d be able to work 4 12 hour shifts in a row. I’ve worked an extra weekend shift multiple times before to split up 3 in a row. If I’m scheduled Saturday-Monday, then Wednesday, Thursday I often find it easy to swap Monday for the next Saturday (although it can stink working 2 Saturdays in a row it’s typically worth it for me). Most of the time, unless I have an appointment or something going on, my only schedule request is no 3 in a row and my manager who does the schedule knows that. I would definitely be letting them know that 4 in a row is no good for the future. 

I just did 4 in a row and thought I was going to lose my mind.  3 is my limit for sanity.  I generally like 2 on 3 off.  

2 hours ago, NurseScribe said:

Three was my limit. I have worked with people who did 7 twelve-hour shifts on, then had 7 days off....and I don't know how they did it.  I worked four days in a row a few times and the fourth day was kind of a blur. But different people have different tolerances. The real question is, are you going to get at least two days off after it? because you will need at least one day for downtime/recovery. 

Can't complain on that front, I do have a good chunk of days off after it. I think when I do three in a row, I'm pretty useless for at least the first day and a half afterward (and, like I said, a bear - anybody just want to scream any time someone even talks to you after a stretch of shifts???). That's more what I'm dreading - the recovery time I'm going to need and can't really afford right now, rather than the actual four in a row. Still learning to completely leave work at work, I guess.

@Michellelizz gosh, yeah, most of the time three in a row is the longest stretch I or my coworkers end up working. One nurse I knew fondly remembered skiing six in a row during the Summer so she could get in a week of beach time between. I suppose a regular set of five days off together would be pretty great!

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.

I worked days briefly to cover someone's maternity leave once, and with days I actually liked my 12's broken up but with nights I like them all together. 

1 hour ago, MunoRN said:

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.

I've always worked nights and my limit is two.

39 minutes ago, Sour Lemon said:

I've always worked nights and my limit is two.

How many nights off in a row do you take then?

Just now, MunoRN said:

How many nights off in a row do you take then?

I’ve never been overly picky about that, although I’m not a huge fan of one on/one off, one on/one off. 
I work one day a week now, so it’s not really an issue at present. 

As you feel there is little hope for a schedule switch.... I feel a call off coming on. Four 12's in a row.. is brutal.

I used to do it routinely because we worked every third weekend and because I liked long stretches off I worked 4 starting Thursday night.  Not my weekends off were 4, 5 and 6.  I also did the schedule at 4 or 5 different places and I never scheduled someone for 4 unless they asked for it OR it was the only way to give them a bunch of requested days off &/or vacation days.  And if I had to do it I always called them and warned them in case they wanted to switch requested days off.  I can't before they're was no other way to schedule you unless it's around a major holiday or a bunch of people are taking vacation.

I work nights in a LTC facility.  My usual schedule works out to 40 hours per week plus a little incidental OT- Mondays and Thursdays I work 2200-0600, Tuesdays and Wednesdays 1800-0600.  It's actually kind of nice starting and ending my work week on a short shift.

We often find ourselves straining the nursing roster and shorthanded- not because of high turnover or anything (it's actually a fantastic, well-managed 5 star facility that treats their employees like royalty) but because we get a lot of brand spanking new nurses apply and get hired here for their first job but then jump ship as soon as a coveted and elite position in the hospital next door opens up.  Age old tale, hehe.  Also we just had two nurses retire, a floor nurse get promoted to DON, and one nurse is out convalescing from a knee surgery.

As a result, in the two years that I've worked here, I've had to do some stretches of four 12's or even five 12's in a row to fill some gaps, and I am at this moment in week one of a six week stretch of four 12's.  It's not awesome, but they make stepping up and helping out worth my while- in addition to the 8 hours of OT each week it adds up to, I get a $100 "pick-up" bonus for each day I work extra hours- that's an additional $200 a week which is pretty sweet- even if it is pretax.