Hospital Shifts - Days, Nights, or Both?

[kaitfinder, BSN, RN]

Hello,

I am curious to know what shifts are like for other nurses who work in hospitals in the UK.

At my current facility, I work in the Emergency Department and all staff (CSWs and nurses) are required to work both 12 hour day shifts and night shifts starting from 7:30AM/PM. We are required to work both days and nights on no set organized system; can be on 3 weeks of days and then a week of nights, or days for one week, nights for the next, then days again after that, then back on nights. Can also have two nights in a week, then a single day shift, then back on nights.

I am curious to know what shifts are like in other hospitals. Do you work only one type of shift (nights or days)? Are there any unit "rules" regarding how often you get switched to and from nights and back to days?

If you wouldn't mind including what type of unit you work on as well I would be very interested.

Best,

Kaitlyn

[skylark, BSN, RN]

Sounds about right.

Often its a 4 week schedule, made up of 2 weeks of days, then the 3rd week is all 7 nights, and a week off.

But there are many variations.

Unlike the US, hospitals in the UK acknowledge that working permanent nights is not healthy. There are numerous studies about this, and the associated health risks include (from memory, please correct me!), a higher risk of breast cancer, depression, and something else I can't recall.

So the only people who work permanent nights are those who have chosen to, usually for childcare reasons, and they sign a disclaimer/

Scheduling is far more family friendly than in the US, and its easier to get a schedule that works for you. Many teams include married couples, so they are scheduled on different shifts to help them coordinate childcare.

[GrumpyRN, NP]

When I worked in the ED we did 12 hour shifts. 3 weeks of 3 shifts and 1 week of 4 shifts. You could request certain days off or certain shifts ie no nights on a particular weekend. we could even request to work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before an annual leave week and not return until the following Thursday or Friday giving 2 weeks off for only 1 annual leave week.

Our hospital brought in a policy about working days and nights in the same week - not supposed to happen but like all hospital policies it got ignored at times.

Agree with Skylark, can be very family friendly.

[jordanecc311]

Hey,

Just in response to your question about shifts, we alternate here in London (Greenwich). In the sates I worked only nights and I loved it. It's been an adjustment to alternate days and nights and it's not my favorite, but some people prefer it this way. I will say management tries to work with me. They know I prefer days here (since I'm married now and want to be on the same schedule as him), but I still get occasional nights thrown in.

I see the others have commented that it'll be a week or two of days and then a week of nights or however they do it. In my experience, that's not always the case and on many occasions I've had weeks where I've had to do both.

For example this week I am working Tuesday & Wednesday day shift then turning around and working Thursday & Friday night shift. (rolling my eyes).. That's been most of my experience when they throw the nights in and it's really annoying to have to switch schedules in the same week.

Shifts always start at 7am or pm.

[skylark, BSN, RN]

That sounds like a standard schedule to me. Nights every fourth week.

Nobody works permanent nights, unless they request it, usually for a few years, for childcare reasons.

Only the US allows permanent night working, its been evidenced for decades that's its harmful for your health, so no other country allows it.

[DavidFR, BSN, MSN, RN]

On 4/22/2020 at 4:33 PM, skylark said:

Only the US allows permanent night working, its been evidenced for decades that's its harmful for your health, so no other country allows it.

Correction, many European countries have permanent night workers. I work in France where in most hospitals you're a day nurse or a night nurse. I'm a night nurse on 12 hour shifts doing 12 nights in every 28 day rota (on average, 3 nights a week. Our full time working week is only 35 hours). In hospitals that don't have 12 hour shifts even the day staff are usually either morning nurses or afternoon nurses, working the same shift all the time.

You often have a rota which repeats itself on a cycle, hence you know where you are for the year. You can swap with colleagues or request the odd days (like public holidays in lieue) when you need to vary from your regular rota. You request your annual leave as you need it.

Most people enjoy the certainty and find it easier to organise their lives around one shift. I've been a night nurse for 11 years now. We have a stricter occy health follow up (every 6 months as opposed to every year for day staff). We have an extra 2 days holiday for fatigue that the day people don't get, and a night allowance of €415 a month ($468 US or £371) which is paid even if you've been absent on annual leave etc.

I am aware of the health risks of night work and it's my responsibility. Melatonin is a miracle! I sleep well and re-adjust easily from day to night - I stress it isn't for everybody! Also, doing 12 hours on a 35 hour week you're off more than you're on hence you never really invert your cycle.

At 56 I'm approaching the end of my career and I know I would find days more tiring. I am not a morning person. Each to their own!