12 hour shift

edimo · Feb 17, 2013

Do you guys get overtime for the last 4 hours? Or when you work 4 12 hours shifts? When you miss your meal break do you get missed break pay? A few things I've been wondering this seemed an appropriate place to ask.[/quote']
12 hours is at straight time; anything over and beyond that is OT if its for a legit reason ie high acuity on the unit and you missed lunch, patient is starting to go down hill, working short
If you work four shifts in a row and you picked it or switched with someone, it's considered straight time and typically, people have like four to five days off after that. If management makes you do four in a row, that would considered OT according to our union.
People get lunch but sometimes it might be cut short; rarely will people report this for the pay since they would rather get out on time instead of staying after their shift to finish charting or whatever.

NJnewRN · Feb 17, 2013

I hated 12 hour shifts. I worked nights and I never got enough sleep. 12 hour shifts just exacerbated the fatigue. And then I had a 45 min drive home, in Atlanta rush hour traffic. I fell asleep at the wheel a few times, luckily didn't hit anything, just shook myself up a bit. I found that i just couldn't tolerate the extreme fatigue. And it's not like you're really working 12 hours. By the time I got up, got dressed, ate and got to work, I had already killed 2 hours. Work 12(at least!), then drive home 45 min, eat a bit, then try to go to sleep. Total: 15hrs, minimum for my 12hr shift.
Nope. Give me shorter shifts. In fact, now that I DONT work in a hospital I have fashioned myself a desk job where I can telecommute 3 days a week and set my own hours. Boo-ya!

Yup! My thoughts exactly! I don't fool around with hospitals either.

Biffbradford · Feb 17, 2013

What our hospital management likes to do is have us work 12s on Thurs, Fri, Sat, then Tues, Weds, Thurs. So you're doing 6 twelves in 8 days. None of it overtime since its technically only 3 days each week. Even better? A number of us were put through this over Xmas. Do you think we feel like going for a run after a stretch like that? :banghead:

rngolfer53 · Feb 17, 2013

The link is to a editorial, not a study, but it brings up some serious safety drawbacks to both nurse and patients (not to speak of innocent motorists) as a result of 12s.

American Nurse Today

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Feb 17, 2013

Rather have 12s...I cannot tolerate working more than three days a week. If I have to work another day over, I absolutely cannot function...I just can't...And I'm talking about 5 8hr days. Too many days in a row. I like 2 days on a day off in between, day on, then three days off in a row.

My unit staffs 50% Mondays and Fridays, three week rotations. You usually have two-three days off before the rotations happen, so if I choose to pick up shifts or a few hours here and there, I will try my best to at least have a day off before I pick up a shift, even if I can't pick up that day, my health is more important than extra money.

Thank god we have no mandates...if they absolutely need people, we are able to negotiate time change, and that's usually doable...if not, I have enough skin in the game to catch up on sleep and still make my life-career balance work.

Biffbradford · Feb 17, 2013

If you're having an M.I. and getting admitted to the ICU, or your beloved Grandma is having a stroke and is being admitted to the ICU: do you want me at hour 11 of my 6th twelve hour shift in 8 days? or hour 7 of my 5th eight hour shift? Put this another way, on my last hour of work in that long stretch of 12 hour shifts ... do you think I have the energy to really care?

bradons · Feb 17, 2013

Love my 12 hour shifts.

Like the time off during the week and on weekends.

Would never go to 8 hr shifts.

proud nurse, BSN, RN · Feb 17, 2013

I cannot stand 12 hour shifts. I don't even like the concept of having someone work 3 12's in a row. What else do you have time for? When I worked that schedule, I was good for absolutely nothing other than to work then sleep.

I find 8 hour shifts much more doable. I agree you have to come to work more often but IMO and in my case I am able to provide better and safer care.

Blue Roses · Feb 18, 2013

I worked 12 hour night shifts and barely lasted a year in that job. I think it just wasn't for me. I'm starting at an 8 hour day shift job and looking forward to it. I know lots of nurses who thrive on the 12 hour shift.

Bubbles · Feb 18, 2013

No wonder that was your former hospital! Isn't working 48 hrs. without overtime pay illegal?

Music in My Heart · Feb 18, 2013

Do you guys get overtime for the last 4 hours? Or when you work 4 12 hours shifts? When you miss your meal break do you get missed break pay? A few things I've been wondering, this seemed an appropriate place to ask.

No OT for hours 8-12.

Double time over 12

Time-and-a-half over 40 hrs in a week

Love 12-hr shifts...

I usually work 4 or 5 nights per week (very busy ED).

applewhitern, BSN, RN · Feb 18, 2013

I worked 12's for over 20 years. I thought that was the ultimate way to work! Now I have been working 8's for several years and love it. With 12's (that always turned into 14's) and usually no break whatsoever, I would be too tired to do anything on my days off. Now I get tons of sleep, feel rested and alert. At one hospital where I worked for 8 years, everybody but me worked 7-on, 7-off, 12.5 hour shifts! I refused to, and worked 5-on, 2-off, 2-on, 5-off. It still beat me up. I only work part-time now, and find that I bring home almost as much in my paycheck, due to the way taxes are. No amount of money is worth it to me anymore. And I hope I never have to do back-to-back nights again!