If your job went from 8 hour to 12 hour shifts...

Nurses General Nursing

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Right now I work in a 25 bed hospital. I think we have around 40 nurses total. We have 8 hours shifts, but if you want to, you can work 12 hour shifts on the weekends. You can choose to do either 7-7 or 11-11, am or pm side is determined by your seniority. There are quite a few nurses that long to be straight 12 hour shifts, with the extra 8 hours to equal 80 hours worked in there somewhere. I dont see us going to straight 12 hours because we have a lot of day shift nurses that had to work for 15 years to get their 7am-3pm and they dont want to give that up. So, after all that, my question is, if you worked in a facility that was 8 hours adn is now 12 hours, how did it go? Was there a vote to get it implemented? Did staff quit over it? How was it determined if the hours would be 7-7, 303 or 11-11? (Most of us work 11-11 and that works better for us than 7-7)

Jessica

Specializes in Med/surg,Tele,PACU,ER,ICU,LTAC,HH,Neuro.
There's no justice for evening nurses either way.:angryfire .

:roll

:lol2:

:rotfl:

Specializes in Med/surg,Tele,PACU,ER,ICU,LTAC,HH,Neuro.

Sorry.

I am composed again.

Specializes in Post Anesthesia.

About 16 years ago our hosp went from 8s to 12s. They trialed it on a couple of floors first and it had almost 100% positive response. The hospital went house wide 7-7 and everyone was happy- (mostly). There were a few holdouts that the hospital offered 8 hr shifts but those positions were lost through attrition over the years.

Specializes in geriatric, hospice, med/surg.

Unfortunately for me, I was once under the "martial law" from the powers above us "lowly nurses" (ahem!) that we would have no choice (due to sheer lack of number of warm bodies with nursing licenses!)

would HAVE to move from the relative doability of eight hour shifts to mandatory 12 hour shifts! What! I promptly made my opinion heard in the staff meeting at which this was rudely, and I mean, very rudely announced by the administrator and the DON.

I received some backup from other nurses once I made my unpopular voiced complaint. But, alas, not enough were behind me to be heard and I was hereon made to feel unwelcome at the facility. I promptly handed in a notice after presenting a doc's letter stating that I medically couldn't work but four eight hour shifts per week....that which I'd been hired at start of employment for...so, not without being in the realm of my accepting starting schedule when hired. I thought, no sweat. But the don promptly admonished me even with the doc's letter and made me resign. I wish now, with hindsight, that I'd gotten a more detailed letter from said doc and fought to keep that four day per week, eight hour shift job. I have had nothing but trouble obtaining and keeping nursing jobs since. Wonder if the old adage of illegal versus legal "references" from old employers is catching up with me? Hmmm.....I'm sick of playing that game. Would love to practice nursing part time...but am instead working for minimum wages at a non-nursing job.

Think long and hard before making decision based on bucking the system. That's my newly formed rule in life! I still, however, open mouth and insert both feet .... guess I'll always be that way.

So, basically, long story shortened, in a nutshell, I've decided that if physically possible, I'd take on a twelve hour shift....if my doc thought I could handle it and if I felt I could. Hope that this vent makes any sense! Sorry so long!

Specializes in LTC/SNF, Psychiatric, Pharmaceutical.
Sorry.

I am composed again.

Heh... I take it that you laugh because you got screwed over like this too.

Yeah, it's funny now. It sure sucked at the time though.

Specializes in Trauma ICU,ER,ACLS/BLS instructor.
Unfortunately for me, I was once under the "martial law" from the powers above us "lowly nurses" (ahem!) that we would have no choice (due to sheer lack of number of warm bodies with nursing licenses!)

would HAVE to move from the relative doability of eight hour shifts to mandatory 12 hour shifts! What! I promptly made my opinion heard in the staff meeting at which this was rudely, and I mean, very rudely announced by the administrator and the DON.

I received some backup from other nurses once I made my unpopular voiced complaint. But, alas, not enough were behind me to be heard and I was hereon made to feel unwelcome at the facility. I promptly handed in a notice after presenting a doc's letter stating that I medically couldn't work but four eight hour shifts per week....that which I'd been hired at start of employment for...so, not without being in the realm of my accepting starting schedule when hired. I thought, no sweat. But the don promptly admonished me even with the doc's letter and made me resign. I wish now, with hindsight, that I'd gotten a more detailed letter from said doc and fought to keep that four day per week, eight hour shift job. I have had nothing but trouble obtaining and keeping nursing jobs since. Wonder if the old adage of illegal versus legal "references" from old employers is catching up with me? Hmmm.....I'm sick of playing that game. Would love to practice nursing part time...but am instead working for minimum wages at a non-nursing job.

Think long and hard before making decision based on bucking the system. That's my newly formed rule in life! I still, however, open mouth and insert both feet .... guess I'll always be that way.

So, basically, long story shortened, in a nutshell, I've decided that if physically possible, I'd take on a twelve hour shift....if my doc thought I could handle it and if I felt I could. Hope that this vent makes any sense! Sorry so long!

Wow, sorry for what happened to you. You actually would have been covered under the disability act if medically not able to work more then 8 hrs at a time. You also could have hired a lawyer to fight this one. Unless they are personnal references,it is unusual these days for an employer to give out any detailed information .(way too many law siuts stopped this)

I can relate on bucking the system,but I will not stop. Sometimes it is worth the effort to help facilitate some change.

I really liked the 12 hrs,never thought I would. Then when u work an 8 it seems like nothing. Extra days off are wonderful. Most places consider 3 12 hr shifts FT now and benifits are given for FT statis. Continuity of care for the pt is really what 12hr shifts is about. I know it saves money somewhere ,but continuity is the foundation of 12hr shifts in the medical profession. Also at one point they stated less errors, increased pt satisfaction and less employee turnover. Who knows? It is what works for the individual.

Many places still offer 8 hr shifts to cover the middle,helps with call in and leaves. I would advice all to at least try it before saying no.One can always resign if it is too much. Just my view!

Specializes in ICU, SDU, OR, RR, Ortho, Hospice RN.

I have never worked a 12 hour shift and for me that sounds awfully long. I admire you all that work that long shift ewwwww. I don't mind my 8-5 for 5 days a week because ( if I am lucky) and finish my day early I just go home on pager, if any of my patients have issues etc the office can contact me. :)

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