8 hour days or 12 hours days?

[2011nursetobe]

I graduate in June and have a job lined up at a hospital about 45 mins to an hour away. I agreed to working 3 12 hour shifts since the commute was so long.

I have talked to some who say 12's are easier for new grads since there is more time to chart, etc. Others have told me that 12's are the devil and will contribute to burnout very quickly.

What are your opinions on working this shift as a new grad?

Thanks in advance!

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

Rotating shifts means days and nights

[noahsmama]

I developed plantar fasciitis just working 8's -- I can't imagine how much worse it would be if I had been working 12's. Sure there would have been more days off to recover, but for me even 8 hours in a row on my feet was way too much (and yes, I did invest in a good pair of shoes). It's been a year since I stopped working in a hospital, and my feet still haven't fully recovered. So 8's were definitely better for me! I'm much happier now working a job where I can sit down whenever I want!

[Bobbkat]

I work 2 12's and 2 8's a week. There are pluses and minuses to each shift. On one hand, I like that I feel like I am either coming in late or leaving early on my 8 hour days. On the other, I do have a tendency to leave late on the days that I work 8 hours, since chances are I have patient care to complete right up until time to give report. Plus, when my unit is slammed (like it is right now), if I am working an 8, I can pretty much count on someone begging me to stay a full 12 anyways. That can get pretty annoying when you just want to go home.

I feel much less rushed during a 12 hour shift. I always leave on time (barring circumstances I can't control, like an admission coming in right before shift change that I am responsible for starting, oncoming shift running late, etc). I am really drained at the end of most 12's, however. I have an hour drive home, and by the time I get home, I just want to drop.

I also have the option of working 5 8's, or 3 12's and 1 4. Anything that adds up to 40 hours a week. To be honest though, I'm looking forward to a few months from now when I am approved to start working 3-12's a week only. Hooray for 36 hours!! My drive is just to long to drive out 4 days a week.

[Multicollinearity, BSN, RN]

I feel like I have the best in-between. I work 4 10-hour shifts/week. However, they often turn into 12-14 hour shifts.

I like 10s because it gives me 3 days off a week, but they aren't as tiring as 12s (or more).

I was on five 8-hour shifts for months and then negotiated my way into 10s after my probationary period.