How did nursing ever "buy into" 12-hr shifts???

Nurses General Nursing

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  1. Do 12 shifts help or hurt Nursing, as a profession or as individuals?

    • 51
      Helps nursing profession, and is good for individuals
    • 26
      Helps nursing profession but difficult for individuals
    • 10
      Hurts nursing as a profession but is good for individuals.
    • 37
      Hurts nursing as a profession and is not good for individual nursing
    • 34
      12 shifts have no effect either way on the professionalism of Nursing
    • 4
      who cares? it's just a job!

162 members have participated

My unit has lost four nurses to other non-hospital jobs, so the nurses can be home in the evening with their young children.

How did we ever get to 12 hour shifts?

How do we get OUT of them???

I only see them benifiting the hospitals or young nurses w/o families who enjoy the extra days off.

12 hrs nearly kill off us 'over forty' nurses, in sheer physical exhaustion

(my first day off is spent w/ feet up and naps, recouperatiing...)

12 hrs means gone before children go to school and gone when they come home and go to bed.

12 hr shifts leave so many of us so tired and 'burned out' that it is difficult to care about the Profession of Nursing, like participation in our nursing organizations, getting quality CEUs, etc.

QUESTION: are 12 hr shifts helping or hurting the nursing profession?

Haze

Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

I like 12 hour shifts for many of the reasons cited. I love being off during the day on a weekday... grocery shopping right after the store opens, when it's almost deserted, is so-o-o nice!

I have a son with multiple disabilities who is now a young adult, but who still has the same needs as a much younger child. With 12 hour shifts I have more time to spend with him on my stretches off, and am able to coordinate his care more easily with his dad, who works 8-4. :kiss

What I find really hard is my most recent rotation. I call it the Killer Rotation from Hell. :eek: In a 28 day rotation nurses work 4 nights (starting Thursday), 3 off, 2 days, 2 off, 3 days, 2 off, 2 days, 3 nights then 7 off. At least 4 of those "off" days are either gearing up for nights or recovering from them. :zzzzz Then there are the very unbalanced paychecks. :o So hard to budget when one check has 9 shifts on it and the other only 5. Thank God for overdraft protection!

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originally posted by enabled

i think hospitals proposed it so that in some ways nurses would only be working 36 hours a week thus cutting the actual wages but maintaining the poor benefits we have. some facilities have a schedule such as thurs, friday 8 hrs, sat and sunday 12, mon=wed 8 with the following week off it still comes out the same no. that also is a way that managed care has increased the hours so that not as many nurses would be needed therefor a savings to the facility but a curse to the staff.

and increase "the flexibility" of the schedule. i'll tell ya'll one thing-i've only known of and worked 12's since i was 40. they will absolutely kick your butt, the older you get. since i am now 11 years past 40, i have a little experience to speak from...

but not a whole lot-i'm not really that old, am i? :p :D :rolleyes:

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I think it is up to the individual whether or not they work 12 hour shifts. My hospital offers both 8 hour and 12 hour shifts. I do not care for 12 hour shifts. It is too long for me personally and it is a scheduling nightmare trying to cover a 12 hour shift sick call.

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Specializes in NICU.

I love 12 hour shifts-tried 8's night shift years ago, never got caught up with only a couple of days off each week.

We self schedule, if I choose I can take 7 off in a row, gives me time off without using my vacation.

I'm also long past 40 something, but not ready to retire! I'd have to change jobs if they made us return to 8's. All the nursing staff here works 12's, including CNA's, 6 to 6:30.

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Specializes in ER, amb surg, home health.

I know divergent opinions on 12 hr shifts exist. A co-worker of mine feels they are exploitative - ie the facility gets you for 4 extra hours without overtime. I personally work 12 hr day shifts (06-1830) in Ambulatory Surg on Mon, Th and Fri. That's pert near full time with FOUR, count 'em, FOUR days off a week. :D I am still held spellbound by this. I can still hack it, even tho I'm tired at the end of the day. I sleep in a little the next day to recoup. But I have two days off during the week, plus weekends off (that's a Day Surg perk). The only problem is, I can't see myself ever changing jobs because I love this schedule so much!:roll

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Well, I am not working in a hospital "yet" and I have never really worked a 12hr shift...not technically anyways! I can only speak from an 8-5 M-F experience...which is just awful! :devil: I leave home at 7:10 to get to work by 8:00 sharp...then I leave by 5:30 only to find myself arriving home by 6 or thereafter! And lord knows I typically find myself at the grocery store or walmart at least 3 times a week for various things! So that puts me getting in at around 8. And then there is the cooking situation! Thank goodness no kids right now b/c i would be lost for time! How do you mom's do it!? I refuse to go Walmarting on my 2 day weekend! B/c that is really the only time I have to do any housework or leisure things! Agghhhhh! :eek: And this is 5 days a week! A vicious cycle! :( So i guess anyway ya look at it...work sucks all around!:rolleyes:

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Specializes in Hospice.

:D My husband and I love our 12 hr. shift!!! When we worked 5/ 8 hr shifts, it was like we never had any time off. Not everyone is lucky enough to pull the 7-3.

We now work 7P, 3 nights a week. We can pick the nights we want to work, which helps with us going to school and also raise our family.

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I am in the over 40 crowd and love 12 hour shifts.I would not go back to 8 hrs for anything. I look at it this way, I work 7 days out of 14.That is so much better than 10 days out of 14.I have no children at home now but worked 12 hrs when I did and it just took help from my husband. He often comments how he wished he could work my hours instead of 8's.:roll

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I like 12 hour shifts. Seems like I never have enough time to do my job on 8 hours. Most of the time not on 12's either :) ! It is hard because I have 3 kids under the age of 6 and they usually only see me 1 time the days I work. But I am here the other 5 days since I am lucky to only work 2 per week.

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12 hour nites does it for me......max 36 hr per week....minimal contact with docs, families, administration....

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Specializes in ER, PACU, OR.

i didn't vote, because nothing seemed appropriate. however, i used to do 3-3's. it was ok then, as it was not 12 hours of being brutalized and beaten down by patients docs and family members. i have been on 8's for the most part for three years now. however, d/t recent changes in my life i am headed back to 12's...........11a-11p. i know i worked from 10:30am, until 11:30pm tonight, and today kicked my a**, and wore me down big time! i only hope not everyday is like this one! :eek:

however, i know it's not like it used to be :o

me :)

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I think 12 hour shifts are great!!!! I am 55 years old, working nocs and have been doing 12's for almost 20 years. I don't have to get up 5 days a week, get dressed, do my hair, put on make-up and drive to work. This should be especially pleasing to those who have long commutes. I save on gas and my time for me.

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