12 hour shift question

[BOSS man]

How closely are your 12 hour shifts usually? Do people usually do 3 straight 12s and call it a week? I'm planning to be a new RN in the future and trying to figure out how my life working nights may be, as far as sleep, family, social life.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I was once able to work three 12-hour shifts in a row, but I cannot anymore because I'm exhausted at the end of the third shift. In addition, I'll be stuck for three days if any of the patients in my group are manipulative, overly difficult, or harassing.

I'd rather work two 12-hour shifts in a row, have some days off, then work the third shift.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

What happen to 8 hour shifts?

I wouldn't work five 8-hour shifts per week as a bedside nurse unless I was on the verge of homelessness. Sorry, but I simply do not want to deal with the verbally abusive families and perform patient care five days per week.

I do not want to feel as if I am always at work, so I need my four days off. 12-hour shifts enable me to have the four days off per week, which is best for my mental health.

[Shuggypie, ASN, BSN, RN]

I work nights and I work 2 on 3 off, or 2 on 2 off, depending on if its my weekend to work or not. I've worked 3 straight but didn't like it, and was exhausted. I don't have children at home so I keep my same sleep schedule when I'm off.

[jmll1765, ASN, RN]

I work 7p-7a. I am required to work every other weekend so I end up working 3 on, 2 off, 2 on, 3 off, 1 on, 3 off. Three in a row can be tough, especially if they are crazy shifts...which weekends tend to be.

[ChadlyRN]

I'm a night ICU nurse. I used to hate 3 in a row but recently switched my schedule around so most of my schedule is in a row. When you work nights I think having a few shifts in a row better. That first night is always the most difficult. I try to stay awake as late as I can the night before.

[turnforthenurse, MSN, NP]

I work nights and I prefer to do my three in a row and get them over with. It's a lot better on the sleep schedule that way because I like to switch to normal sleeping hours on my days off. Right now my schedule is a little sporadic but I'm working on getting my three on/four off back.

[NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN]

What happen to 8 hour shifts?

.

Gone with the nurses!!! LOL!!!!

I preferred the 3 in a row until I kept getting saddled with the worst patients in the world. So I broke those shifts up. Remarkably, those patients we're still waiting on me when I returned. So, I dropped down to two days in a row. Don't you know those darn patients were still waiting on me?!?!????!!! So now, I do a shift at the beginning of the week and to meet my weekend requirement, I do every Friday night. That way, I can still have Sunday free to go in and give thanks that i survived the previous week and pray for what is to come at the beginning of the upcoming week. Nursing sucks....oops, I mean rocks!

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

When I worked in the hospital, I only wanted to do three in a row for nights. On days, I'd prefer to work either Mon, Wed, Thurs or Tues, Wed, Fri. If it was my weekend on days, I'd prefer Wed, Thurs, Sat, Sun, Wed, Thurs. On nights, we were required to work Fri, Sat, Sun night so I'd try to work just one night during the week (usually Wednesday) and then work Wednesday and Thursday nights the following week.

I liked twelve hour shifts when I worked in the hospital. Now that I don't do them anymore, I realize just how horrible they were. Eights in the hospital would be even worse though.

[Pangea Reunited, ASN, RN]

I won't do more than two nights in a row. On night three of three, I'm just too out of it and dangerous. I need a lot of sleep to feel OK, and between 12 hour shifts, I'm lucky if I get 6.5-7 hours.

[proud nurse, BSN, RN]

What happen to 8 hour shifts?

I work 8 hour shifts, and it's my preference. Kudos to those who can work 3 12's in a row. It's just too long of a shift for me. When I have to work long hours or too many days in a row, I become extremely crabby to everyone around. I wish I weren't like that, but I can't help it.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

I work 35 nights in a 3 month rotation. I will pick up nights only, no days, since I keep to an afternoon/ night schedule on off days. I find this works for me.

[NurseOnAMotorcycle, ASN, RN]

Have a friend who smashes 2 weeks together at a time. 6 night shifts in a row across his "on" weekends then 8 nights off. I don't know how he does it because it'd kill me. After the third 12 hour shift, I'm less than useless. Of course, he is almost 20 years younger than me.